The Lesser Kindred
by CR0WE
Summary: When a typical job turns into a chance to make Zelgadis human again, the gang heads off on a new adventure SlayersInuyasha X over.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** This is a story that has been in my mind for awhile, and I have finally come to the decision that it is time to share this tale.

In order for these two worlds to mesh together coherently, changes had to be made. I thought long and hard about how these two different worlds could come together as one and still make sense. These changes will all eventually unfold and be explained while reading the fic.

A special thanks goes to my glorious beta Fuu43. She is just too awesome for words!

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers_ takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

**

* * *

The Lesser Kindred**

Prologue

* * *

Xelloss laid in the arms of his mistress. The demon that gave him life. The being he would serve for eternity. The Beastmaster. Zelas Metalliumelas.

He let her energy course through his body. Savoring the evil that poured through his soul. He would say that it felt wonderful, joyful even; however those are feelings that did not exist in a true demon. A mazoku, the upper kindred.

"Priest," his lady spoke breaking his state of euphoria.

"Mmm. . ." he muttered in response.

"I have a job for you."

"Yes, my master?"

His lady withdrew her power and with it, broke their connection. He sighed.

"What does my lady require?"

"Your _friends_ are going to be going on a trip. Go with them."

Xelloss smiled. It was always interesting with them. This should be fun.


	2. A New Adventure

A special thanks goes to my glorious beta Fuu43. She is just too awesome for words!

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 1: A New Adventure

* * *

Zelgadis sat at the tavern's bar staring into his mug of ale. It was no longer cold, not that it was to begin with anyway. He was idly listening to the men talking on his left. They were gossiping about demons. Sharing tales of how they each, individually, on separate occasions faced a demon down. Apparently, all three of the men had difficult fights, and after all hope was lost, they mercilessly each killed their opponent.

Zelgadis snorted. He doubted that any of these men had ever even seen a demon, let alone killed one. Absently, he pulled his hood tighter around his head trying to hide his face even more. The last thing that he needed was one of them seeing his stone skin and deciding they need to prove just how brave and heroic they are. Stupid people.

He jumped slightly feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"Yo, Zel," a voice came for behind.

A surprisingly perky Lina Inverse sat down next to him.

"I thought you were sleeping?" he asked. "It's late."

"Couldn't," she shrugged. "Hey, bartender. I'll have an ale."

The bartender frowned at her but Lina doesn't seem to notice. He looked like he wasn't sure if he should be serving someone so small alcohol. Zel nodded his head silently reassuring him to do what she said. He grunted in disgust, it seemed that he didn't like being ordered around by what looked like a little girl. However, if anyone knew Lina, they knew that she was no little girl. Calling her 'little girl' to her face could be the last thing they ever did.

"So, what about you?" Lina asked as her drink came. "Why are you still up?"

"Information. It's been two weeks and we haven't heard anything. But it doesn't seem like tonight will be any different. At least not with this crowd."

Three months ago, Philionel, the crowned prince of Saillune, employed Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, and Zelgadis Grayword as bounty hunters under the watchful eye of his daughter, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune. Normally, this wasn't their typical type of job, but the Prince offered them a lot of money. And if there was one thing that Lina Inverse loved the most in the world, it was money.

They were after a dangerous sorcerer named Jextra. He had stolen an important book from Phil's library. Either Phil was emotionally attached to this book, or it contained dangerous information. Zelgadis hoped that it was the first of the latter, but he didn't think that was likely. No one knew where this Jextra came from, he had shown up out of the blue. There have been rumors that he was working for some unknown monster. Great. Monsters. Just what Zelgadis needed, more damn monsters.

"Lets go for a walk," Lina downed the rest of her ale. "Hurry up and finish."

He drank the rest of his drink and followed her out the door. The night was cold, but Zelgadis didn't mind. He found it refreshing compared to the tavern. The wind was strong tonight creating everything outside into potentially dangerous projectiles. He had to step out from behind Lina in order to avoid being attacked by her cloak.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Hmm. . .How about the filthiest, most disgusting bar we can find. I feel like beating someone up." Lina gave a sadistic grin.

Since Amelia was with them, she insisted that they behaved honorably. After all, they were currently being employed by the Prince Phil, and Amelia could not have them taint her father's reputation. She insisted that they uphold the laws of justice. But, tonight was different. Amelia was sleeping in bed. She was not here to stop Lina; and Zelgadis knew better than to get in Lina's way.

The bad part of town was easy to find and within minutes they were in the dirtiest bar Zelgadis had ever seen. Which was surprising, since he has been in some really sickening places. The bar was called The Wench. It had to be the stupidest name he had ever heard. He could practically smell the place standing outside despite the wind. Inside, the place was covered in grime and smelt even worse. It gave off an odor as if something had died years ago and was still rotting within the walls.

"I like it already," Lina chimed. "And, it looks like Jextra does as well."

Lina motioned with her head and much to Zelgadis's surprise, there was the man they had been hunting for a month sitting at the bar.

"Why can't these evil wizards ever like upscale, classy places?" Zelgadis asked out loud.

"I think it would ruin their whole image or something," she replied.

Sitting next to Jextra was a woman who looked completely out of place. Zel could tell right away that she must be a foreigner by looking at her. Her black hair was tied up in a bun and she wore a tight, expensive looking robe. The two were engaged in a conversation and were not paying any attention to those around them. The woman kept shaking her head at Jextra.

"I bet they're making a deal," Zelgadis mentioned quietly to Lina.

"I agree."

It looked as if Jextra and the woman had finally settled on terms. Jextra handed the woman something wrapped in black cloth. Zelgadis would bet anything that it was the book he had stolen from Prince Phil. In return, the woman gave Jextra a small pouch most likely containing gold.

"Well," Lina said. "Let's go get our man."

Zelgadis followed after Lina as she casually strolled up to the bar.

"Jextra," Lina said. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Jextra and the woman just starred.

"Jextra, do you know this child?" the woman raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me!" Lina raged. "No one calls me that. . ."

"Look," Jextra interjected. "Can't you see that we're busy. Go away."

"Nope, sorry pal, but you're my meal ticket. I'd give up now unless you want to face the famous Lina Inverse."

Jextra looked at her with his mouth wide open. "You're Lina Inverse! HA! You're breasts aren't even formed yet! You're the dragon spooker! I'm surprised you can even reach the bar, shorty. Leave kid, before you get hurt."

Lina's face reddened with every insult. How dare he. . . "MONO VOLT!"

Jextra's reaction was too slow. Lina had already had grasped his arm and said the spell. He let out a scream of pain as the spell took effect. The woman next to him jumped back to get away from the fight, the book with her. Before Jextra could even think about how to counteract, Lina slugged him in the face, never letting go of his arm. He fell off of the stool, unable to do anything because pain from the spell and punch.

Lina heaved Jextra to his feet. "You're just lucky Phil wants you alive."

Zelgadis frowned. The entire bar was looking at them. This wasn't good.

"We need to make this fast," Zelgadis suggested to Lina as he turned to retrieve the book from the woman. "If you give that book to us, there won't be any trouble."

The woman smiled. "I don't think so."

She ran towards the door surprising Zelgadis with her speed. The woman was exceptionally fast considering the way that she was dressed. He dashed after her. The crowd parted for them, obviously not wanting anything to do with the fight. She was out the door ahead of him, but not by far. He could catch her. He was confident.

"Freeze Arrow," he chanted aiming for the woman.

She jumped out of the way of the arrow while throwing something into the air. A giant feather appeared. Effortlessly, she leaped into the sky gracefully landing on the strange trasportation. Zel paused for a moment. That was unexpected.

"You won't get away that easy," he said to no one in particular. "Ray wing."

He was in pursuit and determined to catch her. After all, she had the book that belonged to Phil. Zel was gaining speed. Within moments, he would apprehend her. She was moving fast, but not fast enough. He could almost grab the feather when the woman looked back. Her jaw dropped in disbelief; distorting the nonchalant, bored image that she had been portraying. Finally close enough to get a really good look at her, he noticed that she was pretty. Even when her face was distorted in a sneer directed at him.

"This will not due," she spat out.

Zelgadis smiled. "You might as well give up now."

She laughed in response. Shifting her weight, she pulled a fan out of her dress.

"NOW LEAVE!" she commanded with a flick of her wrist. A huge gust of wind hit Zelgadis off guard knocking him to the ground. It was an unpleasant fall. He landed hard on his left arm. Fortunately his stone body protected him from any damage that a normal person would have received.

Groaning, he sat up. He peered into the sky in hope of regaining pursuit. However, she was no where to be found.

"Damn it," he muttered as he stood and started in the direction from which he had came. He hated letting the enemy get away. Especially when he should have caught them without any trouble. The wind from the fan was unanticipated. He silently cursed himself for not being prepared. Usually, he could have deflected a spell like that without any problem.

Groaning again, he rubbed his right temple. Lina was going to be furious. After all, she had every right to be. He had let the woman get away. Damn it, angering Lina was something he tried to avoid at all costs. She was known to get violent and take her temper out on anyone and everyone in the nearby vicinity. Unfortunately, it looked as though tonight would be on of those nights.

Zelgadis found Lina along with Jextra who was still paralyzed from the spell. He was sitting on the ground leaning up against a tree. Lina had restrained his hands behind his back. She was talking to him although he could not hear what she was saying. Noticing Zel's approach, she looked up.

"There you are," she waved. "I didn't want to leave until you got back with the book."

Zel sighed. "Um. . . .yeah, about the book."  
"You did get the book back, right?"

"Not exactly."

"Damn it Zel! How could you let her get away? We were so close to being done with this stupid mission. Now, we're going have to go chasing after that woman. That could take another three months!" Lina threw her hands up into the air emphasizing her last sentence.

"I know. Look, she was a good enough sorceress to knock me out of the sky with a spell. By the time I got off of the ground, she was already gone."

"Well," Lina said looking at Jextra next to her. "At least we have him. Perhaps he can tell us a little bit about where to find her."

Grabbing the collar of Jextra's shirt, she hefted him into the air. She was surprisingly strong for her petite size. Jextra grunted as she slammed his back against the tree.

"So," she began. "Where did your friend go."

"Go to hell."

"Wrong answer," she threatened. "Now, if you tell me what I need to know; you will be given to Phil unharmed. If not, well I can't be responsible for my actions. I'm sure you've heard all about the horrible, evil sorceress Lina Inverse. The bandit killer. Well, I'll let you know that death will be the a very long, and very painful process." She smiled playing the perfect part of the sadist. Hell, if Zel didn't know Lina as well as he did, even he would be a little scarred.

Jextra paused as if he was considering whether he believed her.

"Come on, Zel. How about we take Jextra here some place quiet, where we won't be disturbed. An ally. That's dark. Where we can be all alone, just the three of us. You. Me. And a soon to be screaming Jextra." She smiled. "Zel, you do know some silencing spells of some kind, right? Cause I don't want anyone hearing him and peaking around the corner to see what's going on."

Zel grinned at Lina in an answer to her question. She laughed at him in return and stalked towards the alley dragging Jextra behind her. Zelgadis followed. He watched Jextra as all of the color drain out of his face. He looked like he'd piss his pants any minute, but still determined enough to not utter any useful information. That would come soon enough though, once they convinced him that what they could do was worse than whatever his employer could do. If they could convince him that is. Lina might act all tough, but Zel guessed she was only capable of doing half of the things that she threatened.

Once in the alley, Lina threw Jextra to the ground, "Start talking, and make this easy for both of us."

"She's right," Zel confirmed crossing his arms. "After all, I am in a particularly bad mood after loosing the book."

"So am I. So, how about we start with that woman? Who is she?"

Jextra spat in Lina's face. It was he last act of defiance. Zel watched as Lina's eyes hardened even more, if it was possible.

"Mono volt," was her response. Her victim screamed in pain as the electricity sped through his body a second time. This time, the spell was much more intense than what she used on him earlier. Still smoking, he slumped to the ground. Lina bent down and tore off a piece of the royal purple shirt he was wearing. She proceeded to wipe off her face, then threw the cloth back at him.

"Now, lets try this again," Lina said. "Who was the woman?"

"Kara," Jextra panted. "She said her name was Kara."

"That's a good boy," Zel stated. "What does she want with the book?"

"Are you an idiot? Like she would have told me. All I was supposed to do was get it for her."

"I don't think I like your tone," Lina said in a low voice. "Now, if you want to make it to Selluine in one piece, I suggest you tell us everything you know about this woman."

"She. . .she's foreign. . ." he stuttered. "From a land across the sea. Northeast of here. That's all I know."

"Yeah right," Zel sarcastically commented. "How exactly did you meet her."

Jextra remained silent. Silent until Lina kicked him in the face. "TALK."

"I met her in my travels of the outer-world," Jextra stammered clutching what looked like a newly broken nose. "Once the barrier was down about three years ago. It was in small town. She was looking for the book and I was willing to give it to her for a price."

"Hmmm. . ." Lina replied. "Let's see how much she paid you." Bending down, Lina pulled the purse free from the man's neck. He grunted as the cord snapped.

"What the hell?" she said staring into the bag.

Reaching in, she pulled out a shinning object. It was small and looked like it was only a small piece of a larger part. In the dim light of the alley it appeared as if it was either pink or red. Zel narrowed his eyes trying to get a better look at it.

"Zel," Lina absently said. "You have to hold this."

Zelgadis moved closer to Lina and held out his hand. She placed the shard into his palm. He couldn't help his mouth from falling open. The small object radiated an immense amount of magical energy. The power that it held was incredible. It was pure. He had never felt anything like it before in his life.

"Wow," was the only word that he could seem to form.

"Exactly," Lina replied. "So, Jextra, what the hell is this?"

Jextra laughed spitting out flecks of blood. "I suppose an idiot like yourself has never heard of the Shikon no Tama."

"The sacred jewel?" Zel gawked. "You mean it actually exists?"

"You've heard of it Zel?" Lina asked turning her attention to him.

"Yeah, Rezo was researching it. But he couldn't find it, probably because it was located outside the barrier. He came to the conclusion that it was only a legend." Zel looked at Jextra. "This looks like it is only a piece."

"Apparently, some fool broke the jewel."

"Hmm. . . ." Lina scratched her face. "We should get back to Amelia and Gourry. We'll need to drop him off at Saillune and we can find a map there so he can point out exactly where he met this woman. Zel, grab him and let's go."

Zelgaldis picked the man up. "He'll have to stay shielded with us for the night. I don't think the jail will be able to hold him. We can take turns guarding him."

With Jextra in hand, Lina and Zelgadis walked back to their tavern. When they entered the room, they found both Gourry and Amelia fast asleep. Unfortunately, all four of them had to share a room because the place was booked.

Lina lit the oil lamps. "Everyone, time to get up and look at what we caught!"

Amelia groaned and wiped her eyes. "Miss Lina, what are you doing. . . .Jextra?"

"Yep," Lina replied cheerily. "Zel and I had a busy night tonight."

"You caught him while we were sleep?"

"Well, yeah. You can't expect us to say 'just wait right here while I go wake up my friends!' Jeez Amelia."

Zelgadis dropped Jextra down on a chair. "We're going to have to watch him for the night. We can head to Saillune the first thing tomorrow so we can get there before nightfall."

"That's just wonderful!" Amelia chimed. "Then we can give daddy back his book and all will be well."

"Umm, yeah, about the book," Zel stammered.

"You do have the book, right?"

"It sort of got away."

"What!" Amelia screamed waking up Gourry in the process.

"Look Amelia," Lina said. "It will be alright. Jextra is just going to point out the area on a map of where the book is going and we'll go get it back."

"I doubt it will be that easy," she grumbled.

"Well," Zel said. "The woman who has it rides a giant flying feather. I mean, really, how many people have that?"

"I guess you're right," Amelia thought out loud however she still sounded unconvinced. "Since you caught him, I'll take first watch. My fists of justice will keep him in line."

Zelgadis snorted at her comment and crawled into the bed that he shared with Gourry. The blond haired man was sitting up and looking very confused as to what was going on. Perplexed that they were going to have another person sharing their already small room.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"Gourry," Lina placed her hand on her head. "Don't you recognize the guy we've been hunting for the past three months."

"Huh, who?"

"Oh shut up jelly-fish-for-brains and go back to sleep. You have watch after Amelia since Zel and I caught the bastard."

Gourry scratched his head as he laid back down. "Okay, whatever."

Lina shook her head and jumped onto her bed for the night. Stretching, she gave a sigh as she closed her eyes. It was time to sleep, for a little while at least.

The night was over too quickly for Zelgadis's taste and they were soon on the road to Saillune. Zelgadis silently thanked the gods that Jextra behaved, well mostly behaved. However, just because their prisoner didn't cause any problems, that didn't mean that the trip went smoothly. For it seemed that overnight, Amelia had discovered just how they had captured Jextra, and did not approve. Periodically through the day, Zel and Lina had to listen to her lecture about their roles as heros of justice and upholding Saillune's values.

When they arrived in Saillune, the first order of business was to get Jextra into Phil's hands. Phil was ecstatic to see the evil sorcerer caught. Then horrified that they did not have the book. Lina assured him that Jextra would point out the location of where it is and they would go get in in no time.

Zelgadis and Lina relayed the details of Jextra's capture and the unknown woman to the others. Of course, they gave an edited version only to leave Amelia scowling at them throughout the tale. The Shikon no Tama was kept to themselves, Amelia and Gourry hadn't even heard about it yet.

As they walked out of the meeting with the Prince, Zelgadis noticed Lina practically bristling with excitement. Jextra seemed to have a pretty good idea as to the area where the woman had come from. They could find it easily. All they had to do was charter a ship. It looked like it was time for another adventure.

"Come on," Lina said leading the way. "We need to go somewhere where we can talk without being overheard."

Amelia gave her a confused look. Gourry did as well. Zelgadis was the only one who knew what was going on.

Lina led them to a balcony that overlooked the city.

"What's this about?" Amelia asked.

"Yeah," Gourry added.

"We think we might have found a way to cure Zel," Lina stated.

"What!" Amelia practically yelled.

"Look at this Amelia," Lina tossed her the bag containing the jewel. Her eyes went wide as she opened the draw string.

"It's so pretty," she muttered. "What is it?"

"The Shikon no Tama. Well, a small piece of it anyway," Zel replied. "Legend says that it's a jewel of immense power. That it is a powerful conduit of magic and can be used to intensify spells. Like the talismans that Lina wears, only stronger. It's rumored that it can grant any wish desired."

"Any wish?" Amelia repeated in awe.

"That's right, any wish," Lina confirmed then frowned. "Although, I highly doubt it actually grants wishes; but it definitely can give us the power to reverse what Rezo did to Zelgadis. All we need is a type of transfiguration spell and the full jewel."

"Oh dear. The full jewel? That could take forever to find."

"We got this piece from Jextra. It was his payment for the book," Lina clarified.

"So, the rest of the jewel should be around the location that Jextra pointed out on the map," Zel continued where Lina left off. "I'm going to go find it. You guys can tag along if you want."

"But don't we have to find the book?" Amelia asked.

"We can do both at the same time!" Lina shot back. "Of course we're with you Zel."

"I didn't mean it like that," Amelia looked ashamed. "Mr. Zelgadis, we well definitely help you find that jewel and turn you back into a human."

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about," Gourry added. "But if it helps Zel, then I'm for it."

"Okay!" Lina shouted throwing a fist into the air. "First stop, find a boat."

* * *

Since there are many spell in the Slayer universe, I have decided list and explain the ones that are used in the chapter. The definitions are from the Slayers Universe at http/ www. inverse. org, sorry but the spaces will have to be taken out. I am working on getting a direct link, easier said than done. 

**Mono Volt:** An elementary lightning spell. A direct hit simply paralyzes a target temporarily, due to the targets' skin.

**Raywing: **This gives the ability to fly by creating a shield of wind around him/herself. More than one person can be carried. Since this spell needs a high level of concentration, other spells cannot be cast at the same time.


	3. Food Glorious Food

**A/N: **Well, I have to give a big thanks to my one reviewer. . .even if it was my beautiful beta Fuu43. So, on with the story and I can only hope that it reaches more people who feel compelled to review.

Oh, and a large congrats to anyone who figures out where the title of this chapter comes from. Except for Fuu43, cause if she does not know where it is from she should be slapped onside the head.

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 2: Food Glorious Food

* * *

Lina strolled off of the ship onto the unfamiliar dock. Seagulls scuttled out of her way as she eyed up her end destination.

"Finally!" she yelled. "Dry land."

After a month on the water, a solid surface never looked so good. It wasn't necessarily a bad trip; it was actually quite spectacular compared to their last one where there was no food, or any crew on board. Just her, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis floating off into the sea. A slight pain shot through her stomach as she remembered that trip. She vowed never to go that long without eating again. At least she had acquired her sea legs, which is more than she could say for Gourry. Poor Gourry. The entire voyage he was leaning over the railing sick.

As she scanned the port, a smile graced her face. There were people everywhere running around doing their daily business. Although it was the outer world, it reminded her of home. Unlike the last time she visited where there was some noticeable differences. Those damn bombs that Jiras was so fond of was definitely one of them. God, she hoped that those were not popular here. From the maps she had studied before she left, they were unquestionably in a different area than two years before. At her first glance around, she could already tell that she was going to like it here. Noises engulfed her senses as the smell of the city assaulted her noise. The scent of men, horses, dung and. . .what's that. . .is that. . .BEEF!

"I smell food!" she yelled.

"I smell it too Lina!" Gourry said from behind. Apparently his sea sickness was already forgotten.

"Oh Gourry," She said with a tear in her eye. "I am so hungry."

"Me too Lina," tears where in his eyes as well. He grasped her hands. "What do you want to eat first. How about some ice cream. No, no. . .what about roast turkey."

A bit of drool escaped from her lip. "It's been too long since I had fowl."

"Oh come on you two," Zelgadis huffed as he passed. "You act like you haven't eaten in days."

"Like you can call the crap we ate at sea real food," Lina responded.

"I'm going to have to agree with Miss Lina here on that one," Amelia joined the conversation. "I think I'm going to have nightmares from that awful gruel."

"Yea nightmares on that one," Gourry nodded, a look of fear in his eyes.

"Well Zel," Lina smirked. "If you like it so much, we can always get the recipe form the crew."

Zelgadis glared at Lina causing her to laugh.

"Come on, I'm hungry," Lina said leading the way.

She passed countless of fish stands, but she absolutely did not want sea food. After a month on the ocean she could forsake fish for years. Nope, she wanted beef. . .or chicken. Hell! Why not both! She took a sniff of the air hoping that her nose could lead the way.

"There," she pointed. "I smell chicken!"

Not even caring if the others where behind her, she took off at a run. People scurried out of her way obviously not wanting to be mauled by the crazy little woman. She looked driven by some unknown force- teeth bared as she ran. Chanting 'food' as she charged through the crowd, Lina had the scent and she wouldn't stop until she found its source. She was like some sort of rapid beast on a hunt.

There! The smell was coming from just ahead. Skidding to a halt, Gourry barreled into Lina causing them to gather even more attention than before. She tried to move, however a heavy object lay on top of her. She struggled briefly before realizing what it was.

"Damn you Gourry!" she yelled her face turning as red as her hair. "Why can't you watch where you're going?"

"It's your fault Lina! You should know better than to stop in front of a man on a mission."

"Mission my ass! I was the one leading you know!"

"Children!" Zelgadis's voice broke through her rant. "Quit arguing and get off the ground so we can eat."

If possible Lina blushed even more as she realized her current location. Damn it! She was so caught up with yelling at Gourry she didn't even realize he was right on top of her. Legs spread eagled around her waist. His left hand on her chest!

"GOURRY!" she slapped his face. "What the hell do you think you're doing! I am not that type of woman!"

Gourry rubbed his face with his right hand. "What did I do?"

"Move your hand now."

As he looked down at his left hand, his eyebrows arched up. "After all these years, they're still so small."

Steam. Bellowing piles of steam were coming out of Lina's ears. Her world went red.

"FIRE. . ." a small hand went over her mouth as Zelgadis pulled Gourry off of her.

"What are you thinking?" Zel said glaring at Lina.

"Yeah," it was Amelia's hand over her mouth. She was going to pay. "Aren't you overreacting just a little miss Lina?"

Lina grumbled something, Amelia's hand muffling the crude and inappropriate response.

"Be nice, or I won't pay _your_ food bill."

Damn! Blackmail. Some fucking hero of justice she was.

"Mmmmm. . ." Lina replied. Amelia removed her hand. "I said fine."

"Thank the Gods. Now I want some nice tea," Zel strolled ahead of them into the resturaunt.

Lina jumped off the ground and followed after the rest of the group.

Glorious was the only word that Lina could think of after she finished the last of the food on her plate. The food was absolutely glorious. She looked at the large pile of empty dishes in front of her and sighed. She was full at last. Her favorite part of the meal was the hot sausages and mustard. . .or wait, maybe it was the rack of lamb. . .no, it definitely was the hot sausages and mustard. Laying a hand over her enlarged stomach, she swept her eyes over the rest of the group. Gourry was nibbling on his last chicken leg with his own equally impressive amount of plates in front of him. Although Lina would never admit it to his face, she could admit to herself that he could eat just as much as her. Zelgadis sat quietly sipping his tea, while beside him Amelia looked as though she was going to fall asleep any minute.

Sighing again, Lina thought about the task ahead of them. She really had no idea where to start. Sure, they needed to find the book, but where to look? Kara, also known as the woman on the flying feather, was the only solid lead that they had. Out of her pocket she pulled out a map of the area. There were red circles indicating where Jextra said the woman liked to hang around. They were currently in the town of Tauji, and if she was reading the map right, they shouldn't be too far away from an area where they could start looking.

"We should find someplace to spend the night," Lina said breaking the silence at the table. "Start our search tomorrow."

"I agree," Zelgadis replied.

Lina stretched out as she got up from her chair. "Come on Amelia, let's go pay for the meal and see if the bartender knows of a good place to stay the night."

"Why do I have to come with you?"

"Well, you do have the money."

* * *

Kagome sat underneath a tree with her eyes closed. Concentrating on her breathing, she used the rhythm to help focus her thoughts. Her body was one with her mind. She was calm. She was focused. She was in deep thought. She was at one with herself.. Her mind was free from all unwanted thoughts. 

Except the ones about Inuyasha.

No matter how hard she tired, the hanyo kept distracting her. He was about twenty feet away, practicing with his sword. Why couldn't he practice quieter? He was making too much noise for her to concentrate. She did not need a continual reminder that he was right there. That his sexy body and cute ears were only twenty feet away. Perfect ogling distance. The more she tried to take her mind off of him, the more she thought of him. It was a vicious cycle.

Kagome sighed and opened her eyes. She wasn't going to win, so why fight temptation?

"Kagome," Sango called coming up next to her. "Are you done meditating already?"

"Yep," Kagome answered as Sango sat down next to her. "I just can't seem to concentrate."

"Does that have anything to do with a certain hanyou over there?"

"I am not going to answer that," Kagome stated trying to keep from blushing.

Sango laughed. Apparently that was all she needed for an answer. Her friend always seemed to be able to read her like a book, unlike a stupid half demon who would remain nameless. After all they'd done together over the years, she thought that he would be able to understand her just a little bit better. Humph! Men! Whether human or demon or half demon, they were all the same.

"Oh shut up," Kagome shot back. "At least I'm not in denial."

"I don't know what you are talking about," Sango poignantly looked away, but not fast enough. Kagome still saw the slight reddening of her cheeks.

"Sure you don't."

"Will you girls stop your yapping! I can't even hear my own thoughts!" Inuyasha yelled. "I swear, women! You're only quiet when you're sleeping."

"Gees, someone must have fallen out of the wrong side of the tree this morning," Kagome whispered out of the side of her mouth.

"I heard that wench!"

"Inuyasha! It's been almost two years! You think you would have learned my name by now."

"Keh, whatever."

"Sometimes. . .I could just. . .Awe. Come on Sango, lets get out of here." Kagome stood up, gave Inuyasha one last glare and marched away.

"Just make sure you're back in time to make me lunch! I want some of that ramen you brought back with you!" he called after her.

"Stupid Inuyasha," Kagome muttered as Sango trotted up next to her.

"Wait, where are we going?" she asked.

"Someplace away from him."

"I saw a stream not too far away from our campsite," her friend pointed through the woods.

"Sounds good to me." Kagome advanced in the direction Sango had indicated.

"I don't know why you don't just tell him," Sango stated as she caught up with her.

"Oh please! And inflate his ego even more!" Kagome huffed. "He has his precious priestess anyway." Stupid Kikyo. Why couldn't she just have stayed dead? But no, she had to be running around with a part of her soul.

"Kagome, you know that all Kikyo wants to do is to drag Inuyasha into hell with her."

"Ha, some honeymoon that would be. Sunbathing next the lake of fire and brimstone." Kagome was brought out of her morbid fantasy by the stream coming into view. "Oh, pretty."

Kagome kicked off her shoes haphazardly. Bending down, she removed her socks trying not to fall over. Once her feet were bare, she walked briskly to the stream letting her feet submerge beneath the water.

"It feels so nice."

Sango smiled. "Well it should with the heat wave we have been having lately."

"Where do you think Miroku is?"

"What?" Sango confusing with the sudden change of topics was evident.

"Well, if I'm going swimming, I don't want him trying to take a peak."

Sango laughed. "I couldn't agree with you more. I think he's with Keade picking herbs."

Kagome gave a whoo-hoo and started unbuttoning her shirt. After two years in feudal Japan, her modesty in front of Sango had ebbed away. With Inuyasha busy practicing and Miroku with Kaede, it was the perfect time for a bath. As Kagome's last piece of clothing was pulled off she glanced back at Sango. Her friend was definitely taller than her, with a muscular body. Kagome was building up her strength, but she was no where near Sango. Hell, Kagome couldn't even lift Hiratsu off the ground, while Sango swung the thing around as if it were only a few mere pounds. Then again, if Kagome had trained her entire life to fight demons, maybe she could do that too.

"Race you to the water!" Kagome called behind her, already running towards the stream.

"Hey, that's not fair! I'm not even undressed yet!"

"Excuses, excuses."

She heard Sango hastily throw off the rest of her clothing and charge after her. Kagome rushed into the water; instantly cooling off from the hot day. Diving under, she felt the refreshing liquid all around her.

"That's not fair," Kagome could hear Sango as she came up for air. "I was still half dressed."

"You snooze, you lose," Kagome laid back allowing herself to float. "This is the life."

"I agree," Sango had assumed the same position. "Kagome?"

"Hmm. . ."

"How's the meditation coming?"

"Not so well," Kagome sighed. "I don't think I'll ever gain full control of my powers. Keade has already taught me everything that she knows and it's still not enough. She told me that she's never seen a miko with so much potential. Not even Kikyo. She's taught me basic control, but I need more. I feel like that there is a flood gate just waiting to explode. The meditation helps a little, but what I really need is someone who knows what they are doing."

"I wish I could help."

"That's okay," Kagome replied and then let the silence wash over the two of them. It felt nice. It felt relaxing. A lot more relaxing than her attempt to meditate earlier. Kagome let her mind wander over the last two years. They had been surreal to say the least, and yet, she didn't think that she would trade them for the world. Sure, it had been hard. And she'd been almost killed more times that she cared to count. But she felt that she belonged here, in feudal Japan. It was like home, and that slightly worried her. What was she going to do once she had collected all of the shards? She most definitely did not want to leave Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Inuyasha. But she didn't want to even consider leaving her family either. Could she spend the rest of her life jumping back and forth through time? It's not like she could screw it up anymore than it already is. Over the years she had seen all sorts of movies about the dangers of time travel. Did the same hazards apply to her? She couldn't see how. After all, if she was changing her time, then she should notice the differences when she frequently returned to the future. And she hadn't noticed one. Fate. It was unquestionably fate that guided her to the past. Therefore, if fate was guiding her could she truly screw up? If everything had been predestined and. . .and the thought process was starting to give her a headache.

Kagome groaned.

"What's wrong?"

Before she could answer, Inuyasha's voice came through the forest. "Kagome! Where are you? I'm hungry!"

Kagome groaned again, "It looks like our fun is over."

"Yep."

"I'm at the stream!" she yelled back letting her body sink back into the water so only her head was visible. "And don't even think about coming over here!"

"Look wench! I go where I want to go!" Inuyasha charged through the woods popping out of the brush on the stream bank.

Kagome screamed. "Inuyasha! Sit!"

"Stupid bitch!" he yelled as he slammed into the ground.

"I told you not to come over here! Now don't get up until I am out of the water and dressed."

Inuyasha grumbled inaudibly into the ground.

"What was that?"

"I said fuck you, you stupid bitch! When I get this fucking necklace off. . ."

"Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!"

Sango smiled at her friend. "It looks like someone is not going to get lunch this afternoon."


	4. Rumors

**A/N:** I have to apologize for having to wait so long for this update. What can I say, life got busy. To make up for it, I will attempt to get another chapter up in two to three weeks. Awesome, more reviews! I want to thank you all, and respond to those who have taken the time to write to me. Now, I won't always respond, however, since these are the first of the story I felt that it was only proper.

**turtlehat -** I'm glad you find the beginning of the demon hierarchy interesting. I have only begun to set it up and there is a lot of history and back story to it. I can't wait until it all gets revealed in the tale. Oh, and I am so excited for when Xelloss comes into the story. He is my favorite character and I have all sorts of ideas of how he reacts with the different Inuyasha gang, including Naraku.

**Shavaineth -** Tehe, definitely an enjoyable thought of the fights between Lina and Inuyasha. The two groups should be meeting up within the next three chapters (not including the snippets of this chapter). I know, still a ways away, but there is still more information that needs to be established before the groups meet. I feel that rushing could create dire consequences.

**e-chan16 -** I have to thank you for pointing out a few mistakes. . .some I hit myself on the head for making. Constructive criticism is always good and I highly encourage it. I am fixing them as we speak. . .or as I type.

**Kurama'sFoxyMiko **and** Kagome The Sexy Miko -** To be honest, this story did begin with an emphasis in romance, however, as I started to plan out the plotline I realized that the romance wouldn't fit well into the overall tale. With so many characters and a complex plot, I made the decision that the romance would take a back burner. I actually hadn't even considered putting Zelgadis and Kagome together. It was another cross-anime couple who might still subtly show up, along with hints and innuendos of others. Alas, I will not tell you who, it's much more exciting to let it unfold with the story.

And lastly, I want to thank the ever wonderful Fuu 43 for being my beta. I don't know what I would do without you. . .seriously, don't every leave me, I would be so screwed.

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19._

_Inuyasha takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku._

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 3: Rumors

* * *

****

**_10 Ways to Kill/Torture Naraku._**

1: Scalping him to create a nice throw rug to place in front of the fireplace.

2: Poisoning in his dinner.

3: Tying him up over a red anthill and covering him in honey.

4: Beheading...with a rusty spoon

5: Cutting off certain extremities (fingers, toes and/or reproduction organs) and baking them into a meat pie. Forcing the evil bastard to eat said pie.

6: Sleep deprivation.

7: Having water drip slowly onto his forehead allowing him to do nothing but notice it.

8: Staking him spread eagle on a wooden board and allowing the sun to bake him.

9: Wrapping him up with in a bow and giving him to Inuyasha.

10: Having him roll a large bolder up a hill for the rest of eternity, beginning at the bottom of the hill ever morning.

Kagura smiled at her thoughts. It would be a glorious day when she could do all of those thing and more to that evil bastard. If only he was human. If only he were a weak pathetic demon, then she could show him. Oh! She should add roasting him on a hot picket over an open fire to the list. His body conveniently resting next to her evening meal of fish.

Sighing, Kagura closed her eyes. Freedom. She wanted it so badly. To be away from that sick bastard once and for all. She hated being at his beck and call. Hell, it wasn't too long ago that she was on a mission for him that was practically servants work. Man that pissed her off. Her, Kagura- Controller of the freaking wind, being Naraku's errand boy to inferiors. It would be different if he was a great Demon Lord, but no, this was some insignificant wanna-be. Some pathetic human that Naraku wouldn't even be seen in the presence of. So, naturally the task went to her.

"Kagura," a voice broke her thoughts.

Speak of the devil.

"Yes Naraku," she replied, glad that he couldn't hear her treacherous thoughts.

"I've heard some interesting rumors around town."

Kagura opened her eyes and looked at the devil. "Really?"

She tried to sound interested.

"It appears that someone is going around from town to town asking about you."

Kagura raised her right eyebrow. "Really? That's very stupid of them."

"I couldn't agree with you more. Any idea who would be so foolish?"

"I can name many idiots," she said smiling. "But no one foolish enough to invoke the trouble that this would bring."

"My source was approached by a red headed youth. She was searching for an elegant woman who carries two fans and has an interesting mode of transportation. Apparently, you owe someone money."

Kagura's mouth fell open a bit as she stared at the revolting man in front of her. Whoever it was, she recognized herself in the description. The words were simple, but it had the tell-tale signs that it was her.

"I see you are surprised," he coldly smiled back.

"Of course I am. The idea of me owing anybody money is preposterous."

Naraku chuckled. It was not a happy sound either. Cold, hard and unforgiving. A reflection of the monster himself.

"What's so funny?"

"I will send someone to track down our mysterious interloper," Naraku said as he turned around and left, leaving Kagura alone with her violent thoughts once more. Her list grew rapidly.

* * *

"It's been two freaking weeks and we haven't gotten anywhere!" Lina huffed as she fell down to sit underneath a tree. 

"I agree," Zelgadis said as he sat beside her. "This is getting frustrating."

"That's an understatement. Two times now I've seen that look in someone's eye like they know who I'm talking about. And then, both times they manage to slip away!" Lina laid down so she could stare into the branches above her. "Where the hell are Amelia and Gourry?"

"Still in town. They'll be back at camp later tonight."

Lina sighed as she closed her eyes. Camp was luckily in a wonderful spot near a river. They had spent the past two nights there, and she couldn't have been more satisfied with the site. It was conveniently situated between two towns. Yesterday, the four of them snooped around the first town for any leads. There were none. Today, they had split up to search the second town. Lina hoped that the others had had better luck then her and Zel. After all, this was getting a bit ridiculous. It was as if people seemed to have no idea who she was talking about, or they freaked out when the mysterious woman was mentioned. Not that Lina had actually said her name, considering it was probably fake in the first place. Instead, she gave a description that was vague; yet recognizable to those who might know her. Kara. . .it was more difficult to find that stupid bitch than she'd thought it would be. And, to make matters worse, it seemed that rumors were beginning to spread about their search. This was especially obvious the last few days. Villagers were avoiding them as if they had the plague.

On the plus side, the town folk hadn't yet tried to kill Zel. She thought that was a pretty good thing considering how he looked- and how people usually reacted. Zel himself attempted to keep his hood up at all times possible. The few villagers that had seen his face tended to shy away from them and mutter demon or monster under their breath. Yeah, it was rude, but better than getting lynched by a mob. So, if the village idiots were calling Zel a demon, Lina supposed it meant that there were monsters in this area too-which quite frankly, sucked ass for them. Lina had been involved with more monsters than she wanted to remember. She had definitely learned her lesson- more than once. Hell, she'd learned it a hundred times. Mazuko plus Lina does not equal good. Lina scratched her head. Demons, just what they needed. Now all that was needed to make this party hopping was for Xelloss to show up.

"Lina," Zel interrupted her thoughts. "We should practice with the shard some more."

Ah, the shikon shard, the bane of her existence. . .okay, not really the bane, but definitely the current annoyance of her existence. From the time the jewel had fallen into their possession, she and the others had been setting time aside each day to practice sensing it. They currently only had the small piece that they had gotten off of Jextra. The small shard had no where near the power that would be needed to cure Zel. So, they had devised a way to look for all of the tiny, itty-bitty pieces that were scattered who knows where. The shards were easy to sense once you knew what to feel for; there wasn't many objects that gave off that strong of a magical aura. However, the trouble was with pointing out exactly where the jewel was located. Sure knowing what general vicinity was swell and all, but the damn thing was so small that it was a pain in the ass to find. To remedy this problem Lina devised, ingeniously she felt, a little game of hide and seek- or shard and seek as they had started to call it.

During their free time, one of them would hide the shard. The others of course were set loose after it was hidden to find it. And man, did it blow. Lina was getting better with practice, but could only pinpoint about a fifteen foot area around the jewel. Zel was about the same, give or take a few inches- which Lina enjoyed reminding him of…constantly. And Gourry, well Gourry could at least sense the jewel piece somewhat, if only faintly. Lina thought that was an accomplishment in itself, considering he was the one non-magical person of the group. It was nice to know that after traveling with her for so long he had become more sensitive to magic. Not that she would ever tell him that. Amelia was a bit of a different story. She was able to narrow the space around the magical object to about a five foot radius. Lina hated being outshined by Amelia; the girl was completely winning the game. Didn't they know that winning was her job! Damn it all.

"Fine. Did I ever tell you that I hate that stupid shard. I can't believe that some idiot broke it," Lina moaned giving into her need to complain.

Forty minutes later Lina found herself wanting to rip out all of the hair on her head. Zel had only taken ten minutes to find the shard. Ten fucking minutes! Man, she really hated this game! She yelled, looking up into the sky with an urge to cause serious pain. She heard Zel chuckle. Damn Zelgadis. Once again, she closed her eyes and tried to feel for the jewel. Okay, so I feel it to the left. . .somewhere. . .maybe twenty feet away. Opening her eyes, she glanced over to where she thought it should be. There were trees, and some rocks. . .and some more trees. Oh and don't forget the leaves on the ground. She scratched her head trying to forget that it was pounding. Even the wind was making her head hurt. And those stupid little animals that Amelia was so fond of just wouldn't shut up! Leaning down, she quickly grabbed a small rock from the ground and chucked it at one of the said animals that couldn't be quiet. It hit the squawking black bird in the head, causing it to make even more noise before it flew away. Man, she hated this game! Where the fuck was the stupid thing!

"That's right you little shit!" she yelled after it.

Amelia's voice cheerily broke through her torture. Lina resisted the urge to scream.

"Hey guys," she waved as she came closer.

Gourry trotted up besides Amelia. "Hey, what are doing?"

"You know," Lina said shrugging her shoulders, trying to hide her rage. "Just the normal past time of shard and seek."

"It's over there," Amelia said pointing to a spot about ten feet away from Lina. "I think it's in the leaves under that tree. By the rock that's shaped kind of like a rabbit."

Lina's face flushed with anger. "No one asked you Amelia!" Stupid no-it-all bitch, she silently added.

"I'm sorry," Amelia looked at her feet.

"Just ignore her," Zel replied. "Lina's just angry because she's been searching for thirty minutes now. She starting to take it out on helpless creatures"

"Shut up Zel," Lina grumbled under her breath as she marched over to the rock. Sure enough, after about a minute of shifting through the leaves, there was the stupid shard. Damn it, Amelia had won again.

"Anyway," Lina began as she put the shard back into its proper place, a hidden compartment in the lining of her shirt. It was time to change the subject, hopefully Amelia and Gourry had a more productive day than her and Zel. "How'd it go with you in town."

"Not so well," Amelia sighed. Lina noticed Gourry make a face at her response.

"What happened?" she continued to ask.

Amelia waved her hands. "It was really nothing. You, know just the typical day."

Gourry snorted. "Like hell it was. I had to defend your honor!"

Lina couldn't help breaking out into laughter as Zel stood with his mouth hanging open.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Gourry," Amelia lectured. "No you didn't, it was an accident."

"What happened?" Lina asked as she gasped for air.

"This guy bumped into me and accidentally touched my chest."

"That was no accident!" Gourry defended.

Lina laughed even harder.

"Yes it was!" Amelia persisted. "He was a really nice guy. Besides he apologized and even said that he was honored to meet such a beautiful maiden."

"And then he asked you to bear his children!"

If Lina could laugh any harder, she would have died.

"He wasn't serious."

"Listen Amelia, just hear me out. I'm a guy, okay. . .I know how we think. . ."

"He thinks?" Lina whispered to Zel finally having gotten her laughter under control.

"I heard that Lina," Gourry glared at her. "Like I said, I know how guys think. And I definitely saw some feel-you-up action."

Amelia's face turned red as she looked down at her chest and sheepishly smiled. "I guess they are kind of nice looking."

This time Zel joined Lina in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Seriously now," Lina said in an attempt to settle down. "Anything else happen that was noteworthy?"

"No, not really," Amelia frowned. "However, I did hear an interesting rumor about the jewel shards."

"Really," Zel looked very interested.

"Yeah, apparently there is a group of people out there who are hunting for the shards."

"What did the rumor say exactly?" Lina asked, anxious for any information.

"Well, the group is lead by a strangely dressed priestess from a far away land. Her guardians are a half demon, a monk, and a demon fighter."

Lina moaned. "I hate demons."

"That's a strange group to be traveling together," Zelgadis commented, his hand touching his chin thoughtfully.

"I agree," Lina replied. "Anything else Amelia?"

"Only that they have been looking for them for years."

Lina groaned as she felt her head ache return with full force.

* * *

Miroku hummed to himself as he walked back to camp. He had just picked up some well needed supplies and needless to say, he'd had a great time. 

"Miroku," Sango called running to meet him. "Did you get the vegetables and beef that Kagome wanted?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful!" Sango exclaimed. "It's been ages since I've had beef."

Miroku smiled at her. "I'm glad it makes you happy."

"How was your trip into town?" Sango asked as they approached the others around the campfire. A pot of water was boiling under the watchful eyes of Kagome. Shippo was sitting next to her reading a book, his face scrunching up as he mouthed the words silently. Kagome had decided a few months ago that she would teach the kitsune to read. His progress was slow, yet he was determined- pulling out the books whenever they stopped for a longer break. His surrogate mother was very proud of him.

"It was interesting," Miroku replied.

"How so?"

"I'll tell you once everyone is here," Miroku explained. He glanced around the campsite. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"Don't know," Kagome said. "But he's around here somewhere."

"What are you reading this time Shippo?" Sango asked.

"Green Eggs and Ham."

"What type of creature lays green egg? Besides, I don't think it's very healthy for eggs to be green in the first place." Miroku frowned as he contemplated the pictures over Shippo's shoulder.

Kagome laughed.

"What?" he responded.

Shaking her head, Kagome said, "It's just an expression."

Miroku did not look satisfied with her answer.

"The book is by Dr. Seuss," she attempted to elaborate. "His stories never make much sense anyway."

"Then why read them?" Sango asked.

"They're entertaining," Kagome shrugged. "Did you get the food?"

"Right here," Miroku removed the pack that rested on his back.

"Excellent," Kagome took it from him.

"Hey! Miroku's back," Inuyasha came bounding out seeming from nowhere. "It's about time."

Kagome shook her head at him and his impatient tone, "I'll start dinner."

"What are you making?" Inuyasha questioned as he stopped next to her.

"They're called shiscabobs."

"That's a stupid name. I'd rather have ramen."

"Well, we're not! And it's not like I was the one who name them." Kagome huffed. "It's just what they're called. Sango, do you mind chopping up the peppers?"

"Sure, no problem," Sango smiled as she went to join Kagome. "So, Miroku, now that everyone's here, tell us about what happened in town today."

"Well, I ran into a very beautiful young maiden today-"

"I should have known," Sango mumbled under her breath.

Miroku continued as if he hadn't heard her. "And she was in search of a woman who owed a friend of hers some money."

Inuyasha snorted, "Who cares, unless this bitch works for Naraku!"

"Well, not really. . .at least I don't believe so as of yet. But I can't be so sure since I think she was looking for Kagura."

"What!" Inuyasha's mouth dropped open.

"Why do you think that?" Kagome asked.

"I didn't have much time to question her since her companion rushed her off. He was muttering something about me under his breath."

"Let me guess, you groped her?" Kagome crossed her arms.

"We might have bumped into each other and I cannot be held accountable for what possible body parts came into contact," Miroku defended. "But we are getting off point. The woman she was searching for was dressed elegantly, had two fans and had an interesting way of traveling. I asked her what she meant by interesting and she said that she decorated her mount with lots of feathers."

"Feathers?" Sango raised an eyebrow.

"Yep, she said feathers," Miroku affirmed.

"And how does that relate to that witch," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Oh come on Inuyasha," Kagome huffed. "Just think about it. Of course she was describing Kagura. Why else would there be any hint in there about feathers? And the fans? It's completely obvious to anyone who knows who Kagura is. The real question is why is she looking for her?"

"I don't believe that Kagura owes anybody money, the idea is simply ridiculous. If she really needed it she'd just kill the person and take it." Sango inputted.

"Well, it's not like they want to advertise the real reasons that they are searching for her," Kagome mused.

"True," answered Miroku. "She didn't seem like the type of girl to be evil, but I have been wrong before."

Sango snorted and mumbled something close to 'repeatedly' under her breath.

"So," Miroku continued. "We can't know for sure if they're an enemy of ours or a potential ally."

"I agree," replied Kagome. "We should try to find out more about them. You said it was a girl and that there was a man who dragged her away, right?"

Miroku nodded.

"What did they look like?" Sango asked.

"Well, the girl had black hair to her shoulders, a well proportioned body and was about 16 or 17 in age. Quite good looking," he scratched his chin while he thought. "She was dressed in white with a cape and leggings. These both had pink accents and there were blue talismans decorating her wrists, her waist and one on her neck."

Miroku smiled to himself as he pictured the cute girl. This earned him a shove from Sango. "And the guy?" She spit the words out.

"Oh, yes. . .the guy. . .hmmm. . .let me think. He had blond hair and a sword."

"Is that all? What was he wearing?" Sango crossed her arms.

"I don't remember."

"Keh," Inuyasha turned to Kagome. "Figures, he remembers the cute girl but not the guy with the sword."

Kagome sighed as she replied to the hanyou. "At least we have one detailed description."

"I say," Inuyasha began. "We find them and beat them up until they give us answers."

"Or, perhaps we should figure out if they are a threat first?" Miruko responded. "And then, you can beat them up."

"I like it." Inuyasha smiled.

"Men," Sango rolled her eyes and Kagome followed.

* * *

Kagura frowned as she stared at the image in the bowl of water set next to her. The image was complements of Naraku's newest minion, Iris. An annoying little bird that could transmit what it saw into a designated spot. Hence, the bowl of water. Unfortunately, the thing couldn't transmit sound. She had to admit, and she was loathed to do so, that it was quite a good idea- in fact a wonderful way to gather information. However, she would never admit that to Naraku. She'd rather have tea with that tiny kitsune that was always with Inuyasha then say a thing to him about it. And that damned bird was driving her insane with all of it's squawking. Her thoughts broke suddenly as the bird was seemingly struck with a stone, the picture distorting as it flew away. The image began to loop again, focusing on the red headed little girl walking out of town. As she watched the girl she had a stabbing feeling in her gut that she has seen here somewhere before. 

"Damn it," Kagura muttered as she realized who the girl was. She was that stupid child who interfered with her business with Jextra months ago. Apparently Jextra didn't fair to well if that annoying kid was here. How the hell did she get here anyway? And, to make matters worse, that bitch had a jewel shard. Shit, she glanced out of the corner of her eye at Naraku who was watching the moving images calmly next to her. He was not going to like this at all. It had be the shard that was traded for the book. Naraku had given Jextra the jewel only because he knew it was a way to get that wizard to work for him. Having a contact from the world outside the fallen barrier was an investment that he could not overlook. As soon as he was no longer needed, it would be easy to take the shard back. Kagura felt here stomach drop. He was definitely not going to like that Jextra was most likely caught. Kagura had casually left that part of the conversation out when she told had him about the mission. Now, it looked like she was finally going to pay for her failure.

"Kagura," Naraku asked while still watching the water. "Do you know this child?"

"I do."

"Explain."

Kagura bit her lower lip. If she was lucky, Naraku would only torture her for a few hours then send a minion to retrieve the shard and kill the interlopers. Unfortunately, she had a feeling that it is more likely he would torture her for a few days or weeks and make her retrieve the shard. Taking a deep breath, she began her tale, adding all the parts she had previously glossed over. Kagura noticed Naraku's face darken with every word. She was definitely facing the second option.


	5. The Grape Ape

**A/N:** I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I know I did, even though there wasn't any turkey left to take with me home.

There arequite a few spells inthis chapter. Their definitions can be found at the end.Enjoy.

Thanks to my beta, Fuu43.

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 4: The Grape Ape

* * *

Lina admired the trees as she walked along the path. For some odd reason, nature seemed rather pretty today. It wasn't like oak tree were new to her. Hell, she'd wandered through enough woods so that she could draw them, with her eyes closed, without any artistic talent. Well, at least the trees were something in this outer-world that reminded her of home.

"What are you looking at Lina?" Gourry asked breaking her reverie.

"Just admiring the trees," she replied to the man walking next to her.

"Oh," he glanced around. "They just look like trees to me."

Lina sighed. "Never mind, you wouldn't understand."

"Hey, I'm not that stupid!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, just explain it to me."

"Fine," Lina paused a moment to put her thoughts into words. She couldn't believe that she was actually going to try and explain this to him. "Now for instance look at that tree to the right. The leaves are bright red and orange. They stand out well against the pale green leaves of the tree next to it with the pink flower blossoms. Oh, and the oak trees kind of remind me of home." Lina shrugged her shoulders at Gourry who still looked confused. "Like I said, never mind."

"No, I think I get what you're saying," Gourry was staring thoughtfully at the trees, his face scrunched up in concentration. "I like the red and orange leaves. They kind of remind me of your hair."

Lina blushed. Had Gourry just complemented her?

"You like my hair?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah, it's nice."

Lina didn't even try to stop the smile that spread over her face. It wasn't everyday that he said something about her looks that didn't involve the words 'twelve year old.' She decided to return the complement. "Well, you have nice hair too."

"You think so? Cause I really like it long. I don't think that I'd ever cut it short."

"Even if it makes you kind of look like a girl," Lina grinned up at him. She just couldn't pass up a moment to tease him.

"It does not make me look like a girl! Many guys have long hair. I mean, look at these muscles," he flexed his right arm. "Girls do not have muscles this big. And, my voice is deep! A girl with a voice this low is just plain scary."

Lina smiled slyly at him, a picture of Gourry in a dress filling in her mind. It was a _very_ vivid image. After all, she'd seen him in drag, two. . .no, three times during the course of their adventures. She wondered if he remembered just how pretty he'd looked.

"Well, boys never seemed to mind seeing you in a dress," she really couldn't help herself. Gourry's face went red.

"If you want," Lina continued, "I could dress you up and make you pretty again. We could find you a nice suitor and you could get lots of pretty presents."

"Lina!" Gourry huffed. "Unless it's a tall, long-legged, big breasted beautiful woman, I'm not interested."  
Gourry stalked out in front making it a point to ignore her. Lina rolled her eyes, knowing that she had walked into that one. Scratching her head, she turned around to see what Amelia and Zelgadis were doing. Getting rather frustrated with it herself, Lina had given them the sacred jewel shard to look after. Amelia was glancing around carefully, a thoughtful expression on her face while Zel watched. It seemed that the game was back on.

"It's in your left pocket!" Amelia announced.

"Nope," Zel replied, clearly getting a kick out of the game.

"Oh I know!" Lina wiggled her eyebrows. "It's in your underwear under the guard of mini Zelgadis!"

Amelia blushed, a look of utter embarrassment on her face.

"Well," Zel smiled back at her. "Actually, it is."

"Eww! Gross!" Lina responded as Amelia's hand went up to cover her gaping mouth.

"Hey Lina," Apparently Gourry had either forgiven her, or forgotten his anger. "I think something big is coming this way."

Lina turned to look ahead of Gourry. Sure enough, there was a cloud of dust visible on the road ahead of them.

"Could it just be horses?" Amelia suggested, her face still a sharp shade of pink.

"I doubt it," Zelgadis added, feeling the vibrations in the ground. "Unless the horses have giant footfalls."

Amelia frowned. "I can sense a jewel shard."

"What? You can sense it already," Lina did her best to hide her shock. "It's still hundreds of yards away."

"Can't you?" Amelia shrugged.

Lina sighed and closed her eyes. Damn it! How could Amelia sense it and she couldn't? Stupid Amelia.

"Hey guys," Gourry said as she opened her eyes. "That thing is approaching pretty fast."

"Amelia. Zelgadis. Hide in the trees to the right of the path. This way we can have a surprise it if it's needed," Lina ordered.

"Lina," Zel said. "Take the jewel shard. We don't want whoever it is sense it on me just in case."

Without thinking Lina held out her hand as Zelgadis dropped it into her palm.

"Aw, man," Lina groaned, a grimace crossing her face. "I forgot that this was just down your pants."

Zelgadis chuckled as he ran into forest, Amelia following close behind him. Lina watched as they disappeared into the trees and made a mental note of their location. She dropped the shard into it's designated pocket in her cloak, wiping her hand on her pants when it was secure. Her eyes went back to the approaching enemy. Or friend? Lina snorted. Whoever was coming had a jewel shard and considering that they were meaning to take it away, by force if necessary, she was pretty sure that they wouldn't be the best of friends.

"You ready Lina?" Gourry asked, pulling out his sword- a smile still on his face. Lina glanced at the metal blade. It was a pity that he no longer had the sword of light, the thing was bloody useful- not to mention priceless.

"Oh yeah," Lina smiled crookedly.

She squinted as the figure began to appear on the path, Gourry's form tensing up out of the corner of her eye. It looked to be around ten to twelve feet tall and it was definitely some sort of monster. Crap- why did it always have to be monsters? Light bluish-purplish in color, Lina sort of thought it looked like an ape.

An ape with an oversized head. Scratch that. An ape with an oversized head and two very long fangs that protruded from the its mouth. The large head itself was complemented with tiny ears and huge saucer like eyes. A really weird looking ape. It would have been comical if not for the two teeth previously mentioned and the even more menacing claws on its paws. Or were they more like hands? Either way, Lina could see that they wouldn't leave glitter marks exactly. Three dark purple triangles vertically stacked themselves on it's forehead and she thought she glimpsed another on its back. The ape thing turned it's oversized red eyes downward and looked menacingly at Lina and Gourry.

It chuckled.

"Hey!" Lina yelled up. She wasn't going to allow some weird ass ape thing to get away with that. "What the hell are you laughing at?"

"I can't believe a demon of my stature would be called to eliminate something so pathetic," it responded.

Lina raised an eyebrow. What was that?

"Nope, definitely not friendly," Gourry stated besides her, still rather relaxed.

"Where are your two friends?" It asked them, its voice sounding gravelly. "I was informed that there were four of you. No matter. I will kill them after I am finished with you two. Now, little girl, hand over the sacred jewel shard you carry and I might let you live."

Lina laughed loudly, allowing herself to mock him fully. "How stupid do you think we are? Hell, you just told us that you were sent to kill us. Apparently for such a big guy you have a small brain."

It growled at them.

Lina twisted her face into a fake grin. "My stomach growls more menacingly than that. You're going to have to try a little harder you stupid grape ape."

Before the words were even fully out of her mouth the grape ape lunged forward toward her. Moving much faster than Lina had initially expected, it caught her rather harshly under its right hand. Berating herself that she didn't move fast enough to escape his grip, she struck one of its fingers with her fist. Feeling one of its claws dig into her side, she grit her teeth and didn't give the stupid thing the satisfaction of a response. Without even needing to look, she could feel Gourry enter the fray.

Glancing at his approaching frame, she immediately distinguished the flash of metal as Gourry's sword pierced through the forearm of her attacker. Not bothering to cover his own roar of pain, the ear splitting sound ground itself into Lina's ears, even as his claws dug themselves deeper.

"You're not helping Gourry!" She yelled, now quite sure that the claw had gone all the way through her. Lina grit her teeth again, this time attempting to stretch down, extending her arm out as closely as she could to the ground. "Balus Rod!"

Swinging her whip of light in an arc above her, she sliced through the taloned fingers that pinned her down. From the corner of her eye she caught Gourry taking advantage of the monster's sudden pain, pulling his sword out of the monster before jumping away from it.

He landed gracefully next to the immobile and out of breath Lina, himself barely looking worse for wear. Yanking out the claw still imbedded in her, Gourry half dragged-half carried Lina away from the thrashing creature.

Pushing herself back up onto her feet, she heard Zelgadis's voice from the right. Thank goodness Gourry still had a steadying hand on her shoulder, she was feeling a bit off balanced still. Having a claw rip through a person's mid section had a tendency to do that she supposed.

"Wind which blows across eternity, gather in my hands and become my strength! Bram Gush!"

The blast hit the monster head on, sending it crashing off the path and into the forest on the left side. A flock of birds took flight as the trees crash down.

"Elmekia Flame!" Amelia's voice rang out over the loud squawking of the birds. The spell hurtled itself at the grape ape still on the ground and caused it to thrash in pain and anger. Quite a bit of anger. Despite bleeding from where Zel had hit it with his spell, and surely feeling uncomfortable after Amelia's attack, the monster sprang back up to its feet. Deciding to vocalize its anger by a roar, Lina was both impressed by the level of noise and grossed out by the huge amount of saliva that landed on her.

"Nasty!" Lina didn't bother to hide her shudder. "Val-Flare!"

The spell hit the monster as it began to charge at the person closest to him, Gourry. Briefly stumbling, the thing continued to travel with determination towards its target. Gourry raised his sword, ready to defend himself. Diving between its limbs, Gourry swiped at the injured leg, the sword barely nicking it. The creature kicked its back leg catching Gourry in the side, sending him face first into a maple tree. He slumped down to the ground, looking reluctant to get back up right away.

"Screw this," Lina muttered, looking over to see Gourry attempt to crawl back up. Doing her best to forget the wound at her side, she let the adrenaline of the fight wash over her. It had been awhile since she has fought anything of a challenge- she wasn't sure if the chance for a real fight was pumping her up or pissing her off. "Darkness from twilight, crimson from blood that flows; buried in the flow of time-"

"Lina! Stop!" Zelgadis shouted as he came running out of his hiding spot. "That spell could disincarnate the jewel shard!"

Shit! Lina resisted the urge to smack her forehead. She had forgotten about the shard. Drawing the power back into herself, she let the spell evaporate. "Zel! Distract it!"

"Dug Haut!" Zel dropped on his hands and knees creating stone spikes that shot up from the ground at an alarming rate. They may not have impaled the creature but they were definitely a distraction.

"Amelia, where is the shard located?" She asked the girl who was now a few paces behind her.

"Um. . ." Amelia hesitated. "It's in the right shoulder… I think."

"You better be right. Now go join Zel." Lina ran over to Gourry who had finally managed to stand. "You feeling alright?"

He nodded, watching Zel and Amelia throw spells at the creature.

"Good. Aim for the eye. I'll follow you."

With a running start Gourry jumped onto its back. Too distracted to notice, the monster didn't even flinch at the blond man's intrusion. Lina was fast on her sword man's heels.

"Fireball!" She yelled hitting it in the back of the head.

The grape ape turned it's head over his shoulder just in time to see Gourry's sword being thrust into its eye. Ducking under his arms, Lina grabbed onto the hilt of the sword as well.

"Digu Volt!" She chanted as the lightening traveled through the metal sword directly into the creature's eye. And, as Lina hoped, into it's brain as well. Now screaming in obvious agony, the monster flung Lina and Gourry to the ground- the sword still impaled in the thing's eye. She grunted in pain as she landed on her injured side.

The demon pulled out the sword and flung it to the ground. Black blood spurted from the wound and covered both the ground and the still too near Lina. Wiping the black mess off of her face she didn't even bother to move from her position, instead already getting ready for another spell. She never got the chance to open her mouth.

"Rah Tilt!" Zelgadis's voice called from somewhere behind her. Blue light streamed through the air above Lina and enveloped the monster. It writhed in misery. With a final shudder, it collapsed onto the ground.

"Damn it," Lina said as she attempted to get up. Her side really hurt now that the thrill of the fight had worn off. She peeled up part of her shirt so that she could get a better look her wounded side.

"Lina," Gourry said as he ran over to her. "You're hurt."

Lina looked at him. "Thanks for stating the obvious. Amelia, do you have any more of that sterilization stuff that smell mysteriously like rum?"

"Yep, it's in my bag," Amelia ran out of sight to retrieve her fallen bag. She came back out in moments digging through it as she walked. Lina's gaze drifted from her friend to the demon's body. Gross. She let out a sigh, knowing that there was a jewel shard located somewhere in the body of that thing. Double gross. Lina was so not looking forward to looking for it. She was already covered in its blood and saliva, she doesn't need to add guts to the list. Amelia's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Here you go."

Taking the bottle, she glanced back at the body. Was it her imagination, or did it just move?

"I think we need to find the shard," Lina said eyeing the carcass. "Now."

"What's the rush?" Amelia asked. "We have time to heal your side first."

Lina looked at Amelia besides her. "I'm not so sure it's dead."

Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis all looked at the body. This time it twitched under all of their gazes.

"But, that's impossible!" Amelia gapped. "I mean the Rah Tilt destroyed it's astral body. Didn't it?"

"It's the jewel shard," Zelgadis replied. "It looks like it's regenerating the creature. We need to get it out. Now."

Zelgadis ran over to the sort-of-dead-but-twitching monster and climbed up so he could stand on its right shoulder. Amelia left Lina's side and ran after him. Lina moved to join them, but stopped as herwound furiously protested. She groaned in pain.

"Stay here Lina," Gourry had heard her. He ran over to the carcass as well. Amelia stood next to Zel, her head tilted thoughtfully to one side. "Amelia! Where in the shoulder is the shard?"

"Um, well. . ." dropping down to her knees, Amelia placed her hands on the creature's hide. All eyes were on her as she concentrated. "There. I think." She pointed to a spot in front of Zel. "It should be a few inches below the surface."

Zelgadis pulled out his sword and plunged it into the flesh of the shoulder. At a depth of around eight inches, he began to cut a circle into the body. Once the circle was finished, he reached down and pulled out a block of flesh about ten inches wide. With the ten by eight chunk of demon flesh in his hand, he presented it to Amelia.

She looked like she was going to cry in revulsion at the offering.

"Is it in here?" Zel asked her. The flesh seemed to be wiggling around in his hands.

"Um hmm," Amelia nodded, looking a little green.

Zelgadis jumped off of the grape ape and walked over to Lina.

"Whoa," Lina said as the flesh wiggled on it's own again. "Don't bring that over here."

Zel glared as he began to pick his way through the body part. Throwing chunks of flesh around, he dug for the shard. Lina wanted to look away, but she just couldn't tear her eyes from the gruesome site. The hunk of flesh seemed to almost be protesting the assault that it was being put under. It had to be some sort of side affect from the jewel. She didn't even notice that Amelia had knelt down next to her.

Amelia bent her head closer to Lina's side, fussing over both her and the wound. Grabbing the bottle from Lina, she pulled off the cork and lifted up Lina's shirt.

"Hey," Lina said, now giving Amelia her full attention. "What are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning it so I can heal it," she responded as she poured the liquid onto her friend's side. Lina grit her teeth in pain. Damn it, if cleaning a wound was a good thing, then why did it have to hurt so freaking much.

"I can do it myself," Lina said through her clenched teeth.

"Shush," Amelia responded as the pouring stopped. "You're hurt and I am better at healing than you are so just let me."

Lina sighed and turned her attention back to Zel allowing Amelia to do her business. A few moments later, Zel's face lit up as he pulled a shiny pick object out of the mess.

"Look at what we have here," he smiled presenting the jewel and throwing the rest of the flesh onto the ground. The hunk of demon stopped moving on it's own once the shard was removed.

"Thank god," Lina responded.

Amelia looked up from her patient's side and smiled. "You found it!"

"All thanks to you Amelia," Zel said. "You're getting pretty good at locating these things."

Amelia smiled even wider at the compliment, a light blush dotting her cheeks.

Lina turned her attention back to the dead monster laying in the path. Something just didn't seem to feel right. It was too easy, even if she got hurt. After all of the mazuko she has fought in the past, this monster just seemed way to simple to kill. Sure, it could have just been an underling for some lord, but seriously, there wasn't a demon lord who didn't know about her. If they were trying to kill her, they would have sent something that would have presented just a bit more of a challenge. Something was off. Something was wrong. Something had seriously underestimated her and her friends.

"Hey guys," Gourry interrupted her thoughts. "We have company."

"And they have a large jewel shard," Amelia chimed in still healing Lina's side.

Lina looked up to see a group of people still very distant. Too far away to see clearly, there were four of them walking on foot with what appeared to be a small animal beside them. They approached slowly, seeming to take in the environment. Zelgadis and Gourry moved in front of the two girls in a protective stance. Normally, she would have given both of them a good smack on the head for doing it, but considering she was in the process of being healed, it left both Amelia and herslef vulnerable until they were finished.

Getting a glimpse of them as they walked around the corpse, Lina took the opportunity to examine them. A man with white hair wearing a red outfit of some kind lead the group. He didn't look human, especially since he had dog like ears sticking out of his head and golden yellow eyes. Behind him was a young girl who had on a strange outfit. It kind of reminded Lina of some type of sailor's uniform for girls; or a type of prostitutes uniform modified to look like sailor's garb. The thing showed way to much leg; then again, Naga and Martina dressed more scandaless than that. Either way, it was odd. Peering out of a bag on the shoulder of the sailor prostitute was some kind of fox creature thing. Like a little Jiras. On second thought, she hoped not. Man that stupid gun-toting fox was annoying. The next person was another woman who was dressed like a warrior. She carried a heavy looking incredibly large boomerang across her back. Another strange creature walked next to her. It was growling softly at them while it approached. Lina would have said it was somewhere between a fox and a kitten of kinds. In fact, it was actually sort of cute. And, lastly, bringing up the rear was a holy man who carried a large staff. Lina scratched her head, she had a feeling that she should know them.

The sailor prostitute stopped to look at the dead demon. She frowned as she looked at the carcass and looked back at them. Her eyes went straight to Amelia and Lina. More importantly to where Amelia was healing Lina. Her gaze then drifted up towards Zelgadis, a look of confusion passing over her features. Lina bit her lip, Amelia needed to hurry up with the healing spell. As if reading her mind, Amelia pulled down Lina's shirt signaling that she was now good to go. They both stood up, knowing that it was time to face down the new arrivals.

* * *

Here are the definitions of the spells used in this chapter. The definitions are from The Slayers Universe at www. inverse. org (Spaces will have to be removed in order to work. Sorry about that, but I can't get it in here any other way.)

Balus Rod  
A whip of light appears in the caster's palm which can be used to attack. Unlike spells which are shot out, the movement of the whip can be more tightly controlled by the caster, improving the chances of hitting the target. The primary weakness of the spell is its short range.

Bram Gush  
The spell creates an arrow of wind, which is shot at a target and bursts upon contact (or at the caster's choosing), shredding the target to pieces. An extremely lethal spell which has the power to blow a hole through a brick wall.

Digu Volt  
A lethal spell which shoots out a blast of lightning from the palm of the extended arm. This spell is a stronger version of Mono Volt, and a direct hit by this spell most likely means death. There is also a small chance that targets struck with this spell will catch on fire.

Dug Haut  
A powerful and effective spell in which numerous large stone spears rush out of the ground. This is done by gathering magical energy in a hand and slamming that hand against the ground, which causes the layers underneath the ground to shift. Since this spell also causes a small earthquake, any target whose feet are on the ground will have a hard time dodging this spell.

Elmekia Flame  
Stronger version of Elmekia Lance. Instead of a lance, a pillar about as wide as a man's chest is shot out. It deals no physical damage, but since it attacks from the Astral Plane, it can easily destroy the spirit of a man.

Fireball  
A ball of fire appears between the hands of the caster which can then be thrown. Upon contact with an object, the ball explodes, spreading flames. Caution is necessary when using this spell in enclosed area or forests because this spell affects a wide area. This is the most popular offensive spell. Lina uses variations of this spell such as making the ball of light appear in places other than between the hands, or making the ball of fire explode on the word "Break." Being able to cast this spell is one of the criteria for a full-fledged mage.

Ra Tilt  
The strongest spirit magic spell which envelops a target in blue-white light. This spell can only be used against a single target -- and only those that have spirits -- but its effect is absolute. The blue-white flame can destroy even a pure Mazoku with a single hit.

Val-Flare  
At first glance it looks like an enlarged Flare Arrow, but upon contact it causes a tremendous explosion and deals a tremendous amount of damage. It can be used against living beings, and also to open holes in ceilings. Care is needed when casting this spell in a wooden building because the building could catch on fire.


	6. A Midday Stroll

**A/N**: I have to apologize about the lateness of this chapter. Life has gotten busy since my last update. I know that's not an excuse and I'll try to keep the updates studier. On the plus side I have graduated from school with degrees in Graphic design and Digital media. Now, all I have to do is find a job!

I have to say happy birthday to my lovely beta Fuu43.

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

**

* * *

The Lesser Kindred **

Chapter 5: A Midday Stroll

* * *

Kagome sat on the steps of the front entrance to Mr. Yuki's mansion. They were there because they needed money. Again. It wasn't as if the life of a jewel shard hunter was rich and glamorous; more like poor and dirty. So, they were here doing the same thing they did every time they needed money – letting Miroku earn his pay as a priest- exorcising demons, saving maidens… or whatever it was that Miroku did. Normally, both of those options went hand in hand. This time was no exception. Mr. Yuki's daughter, Mia, was the main reason they were there. Whether it was an actual evil spirit, Kagome didn't know and didn't want to ask. She figured the more she was left in the dark, the better off she was. This way, when they eventually spent the money that Miroku earned, she wouldn't feel guilty. As Miroku always said, the rich just want the assurance that they're safe. If he didn't answer their call, someone else would. The well off don't like being told they're wrong, and if they believe that their place is haunted, then damn it, it is. 

Kagome sighed and looked over at Shippo. He was running around in the tall grass chasing butterflies. Oh the joys of childhood. Only his head peeked out of the tall grass and it darted back and forth as he moved. At first, he had constantly tried to get her attention, jumping and waving his hands in a 'notice me' fashion. Soon however, he realized that she was too engrossed into her thoughts to notice. She smiled at the little kitsune though he was too enthralled in his chase to notice. It seemed like so long ago that she had felt that happy. That free. Now, every where she went there seemed to be responsibilities hanging over her head in an almost noose like manner. Kagome let out a small chuckle as Shippou's attention wavered and he scurried into the side of her backpack.

Kagome turned away from him as she noticed someone sit down next to her. She tilted her head to see Inuyasha looking annoyed and disgruntled. There was no doubt in Kagome's mind that it was because of the 'sham' job that they were a part of.

"How's Miroku doing in there?" she asked, knowing he wanted to blow off some steam.

"Hmpf," Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Are the rich always this stupid?"

Kagome laughed.

"I mean for cry'n out loud, no spirit would ever haunt this place. The residents would drive it insane."

Kagome's smile grew wider as Inuyasha continued to rant. He seemed rather annoyed with Miroku's not so honest ways of getting money. Not that he would ever admit to it, but Kagome knew better. She knew that it bothered him to see people being taken advantage of. In the two years that she has known him, she has noticed changes in the hanyo. Sure, he was still gruff, and blunt, and plain out rude, but the hot anger that had burned in him when they first met had faded. She even considered taking the necklace off of him. Kagome trusted him, knowing in her heart that he would not leave her alone in this seemingly never ending task. Yet, even she would admit that it was fun to have something to punish him with. Kagome's grin turned sadistic.

"Yo, Kagome," Inuyasha angrily said to her. "What's that retarded smile for? Are you even listening to me?"

She gave him a glare. "No, as a matter of fact, I wasn't."

"Stupid bitch," he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that."

"Yeah, well I meant it. Anyway, how's that stupid meditation crap going?"

Kagome suppressed a groan. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Jeez Kagome, how fucking hard can it be?"

"You'd be surprised."

"I mean, come on. You're not that stupid. I've seen you do things much more difficult than this. If you can face down Naraku, then you can meditate."

She felt herself tint at the unintended complement. It wasn't often that Inuyasha admitted she was more than just a jewel shard detector that needed to be guarded. Kagome shook herself briefly, and organized her thoughts.

"Meditating is not the problem. I meditate, I calm myself down. I focus on my power but I can't reach it, it's just stuck there!" she hated the frustration that crept into her voice, "Kaede said not to force it because that's dangerous; that I'll figure out how to use it sooner or later. Why does it have to be so difficult? Why can't something just for once be easy?"

"Keh, that's life."

That's life. Only Inuyasha could sum up their extraordinarily difficult circumstances with two words said in a nonchalant voice. She wanted to hit him.

"Stupid life," Kagome snorted. "I just wish Kaede could have been a little more helpful, or at least directed me to someone who could." Kagome sighed, it was time to change the subject. Talking about this was just making her depressed. Inuyasha seemed to sense her mood.

"So woman, when's the next time you're stopping home? I could use more ramen sometime soon."

Kagome shrugged. "Soon, I'm going to have to pick up some homework as well or else I'll never finish school."

Of course every year that passed she could feel her chances of actually graduating slipping away.

"Who the fuck needs school? You're doing fine just the way you are."

"Believe me Inuyasha, where I come from, I need to finish high school or else I'll never get a decent job. And then, I don't even want to think about college. I guess I'll just have to wait a few years until all of the shards are collected to go. On the plus side, once I'm done with high school I can stay here for much longer time periods."

"College? What the hell is that?"

"More school."

"I swear, all you people ever do in the future is learn."

"Well, I guess you could say that knowledge is power. The more you know, the better chance you have of a successful future. Oh, and the better chance you have of becoming rich."

"And then we could get rid of Miroku."

Kagome laughed turned her head back to the scenery. It was rather pretty, really gorgeous day out. Not to mention that the estate was on the top of a bluff, so that there was an excellent view for miles in every direction. It was definitely something she missed when she was home in the future. All the cold concrete and buildings would never compare to a sight like this. As her eyes swept the landscape, they came to a halt on a group of trees to her left.

"I wonder what that is?" Kagome pointed the position out to Inuyasha.

"Hell if I know. Looks big."

And it did look big. She could see the rustling of trees at an alarming height.

"It must be a demon of some kind to stir up so much dust."

"Yeh, not that it's any of our business."

Kagome exhaled, wondering how he always seemed to sound so barbaric. "What if it's hunting down some helpless humans for dinner?"

"And what if it's just going out for a fucking midday stroll?" Inuyasha retorted.

Their argument stopped abruptly as a large explosion came from the area where Kagome was pointing.

"Shit," Inuyasha muttered, running a hand through his hair. The hand at his side clenched then released.

"Should we check it out?" Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha.

"Yeah. That was a pretty big explosion."

"I'll go get the others," Kagome jumped up from her spot and ran into the building. Luckily she knew where they were doing the cleansing ceremony, and she raced through hallways and rooms. Turning the last corner before the room, she ran at full speed right into Sango.

"Ow," they both simultaneously cried out as they tumbled into an untidy heap on the floor. Rubbing her head, Kagome looked up to see Miroku with Mia in his right arm a little further down the hall. Sango was obviously trying to out walk the two of them.

"Are you two okay?" he asked, his attention still mostly focused on the girl his arm rested against.

"Yes," Kagome replied as Sango said "Just fine."

"Well Kagome, you should be pleased to know that the exorcism was a success," Miroku smiled.

"I bet," Kagome snorted as she got back up. "But we have bigger problems now. There's a battle going on outside a few miles from here. A big one. We're going to go check it out."

Kagome didn't even look back to see if they were following as she returned to Inuyasha.

"Well Mi'lady," Miroku said, proceeding afterwards to kiss her hand. "I must be taking my leave. Duty calls. I'll have to come back soon so we can-hey!" Sango yanked him by the arm and began to drag him away.

"Good luck," Mia waved goodbye as she faded from sight. Sango resisted the urge to snarl back at her.

Kagome and Inuyasha didn't have to wait long for the others to join them on the front steps. Sango and Miroku arrived just in time to witness another explosion from the area in question. Without needing to say anything, Kagome jumped onto Inuyasha's back as Kirara transformed allowing Sango and Miroku to climb aboard. Shippo peaked out of Kagome's backpack to look over her shoulder as they took off. Kirara soared through the sky above as Inuyasha sprang through the forest below. It only took minutes for them to reach their destination. Inuyasha perched on a high treetop so they could get a better look at what was going on.

Kagome leaned over his shoulder in an attempt to see past his thick hair. The others stayed in the sky hovering above her, their shadows barely breaking through the tree line. Below Kagome, she could see a demon, an ugly purple ape thing. There were four people fighting it, or losing to it was more like it. Two of the people were thrown to the ground. It looked very painful, and she had been in a few painful situations herself. It was then that Kagome's attention turned to the man still standing, his hands shooting out a bright blue light that struck the creature. The trees shook with the reverberating sound waves caused by its howl, the form collapsing to the ground.

"Holy shit," Inuyasha growled. "What the fuck was that?"

His voice was low enough that it sounded as a rumble in her ear.

"I don't know," Kagome muttered back. She looked towards the sky to see Sango and Miroku staring down at the sight. Sango must have felt eyes on her because she turned her head and looked directly at Kagome. Kagome motioned her hand in a gesture saying to move toward the ground.

"Inuyasha, land so that we can talk with the others quietly."

As his feet met the ground Kirara landed gracefully next to them, her passengers climbing off of her in barely concealed urgency.

"Did you see that?" Sango asked her voice quiet but clear.

"Yeah," Kagome replied. "That was amazing. But, the monster and the girl on the ground are both carrying jewel shards."

"Isn't that just fucking great," muttered Inuyasha.

Sango frowned.

"I would rather not fight something that just took down a demon," Miroku said.

"I agree," Kagome answered, her annoyance showing. "Especially since they did that without using their shard. Imagine what would happen if they used it. I say that we approach as non-threateningly as possible. Then decide on where they stand on the evil scale and how to best get the shard away from them. We did just get paid, if everything else fails we can buy it from them."

"But that's our money for food," Inuyasha pouted, his ears twitching slightly. "Can't we just kick the crap out of them and take it?"

"Diplomatic as ever I see Inuyasha." Kagome rolled her eyes. "We'll do it my way, and maybe you'll get that fight you're itching for."

"Keh, whatever," Inuyasha said, pulling outTetsusaiga and looking away.

"I just said we would approach as non-threatening as possible, didn't I?" Kagome glared at him. She resisted the urge to put her hands on her hips.

"Fine, you stupid wench." Grudgingly, he puts his sword away.

Kagome snorted, his actions were similar to those of a five year old.

"Kirara, transform back please," Sango said to her companion. The cat demon looked up at her, tilting its head to the side with an understanding 'mew.'

With Kirara back in her compact form, they slowly made their way through the trees. The strangers hadn't noticed them earlier and now they did not attempt to hide their approach. As they came nearer to the carcass, Kagome noticed that the jewel shard had already been removed. She sensed that all of the shards had been collected and put in the same place.

"Looks like they finally noticed us," Inuyasha commented as they began to round the dead monster. He was right.

Both groups openly studied each other. The first figure that caught her eye was a strange looking man. He was dressed in a cream colored outfit that included a cap, with wire-like grayish purple hair skin and hair. The skin had an odd pigmentation that appeared to be rough like stone. She thought he might have the look of a demon, or possibly a half demon like Inuyasha. This was the man who had created the pale blue light from earlier . . . the light that had killed the monster. Kagome definitely did not want to fight him. Of if she did, she would truly have to be on point. He stood protectively with his sword out in front of two females on the ground. A blonde haired man stood next to him. His hair was more beautiful than any she had seen before; much prettier than her own. Kagome frowned, how come men from this era always seemed to have such gorgeous hair? Avoiding the urge to look at Inuyasha's fluffy hair, she absently pulled on her own locks and stared at the sword he had drawn out.

Her gaze then shifted toward the two women on the ground. Wait, no, one woman and one girl. The little red haired girl did not look happy. The black haired woman had her hands against the child's right side. As Kagome looked closer, she realized that the pink garment the girl was wearing was stained with blood, most likely her own. It took another moment to realize that the black-haired woman's hands were glowing. Holy shit! The woman was healing the red head! Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha to see if he noticed the magic as well. He didn't appear like it, he seemed to be focused instead on the two men with swords. She watched as his fingers twitched on the hilt of his own sword. Her gaze turned to Miroku. He was staring at the black haired woman with a strange look on his face. It seemed that he noticed her doing magic as well. Kagome's thoughts were interrupted as the two females stood up.

The two groups stared at each other, unsure who should make the first move.

Kagome decided to take the initiative, knowing that letting Inuyasha or Miroku do the talking would be a bad idea. "Uh, hello."

"Can we help you?" the stone demon asked, well… it was more like demanded.

"Keh, yeah," Inuyasha took charge. "Give us your jewel shards!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome swatted his arm.

"Go to hell!" the blonde replied.

"Gourry!" the red head said hitting him on the back. "Please, forgive his rudeness."

"So," smiled the stoney demon. "You're after the jewel shards."

"Well duh," Inuyasha replied. "So fucking hand them over."

"I don't think so," replied the stone demon. "In fact, why don't you hand over your shards instead."

Kagome responded before Inuyasha could have the chance. "Look, we can't do that."

"Kagome," Inuyasha said. "They obviously aren't going to part with them so we'll just have to take it."

The stone demon snorted, "I'd love to see you try."

"Yeah! Come on and try. We'll-" the black haired woman's eyes widened as she stared at Miroku. "You! What are you doing here!"

Her voice was high and slightly squeaky with indignation.

Miroku looked surprised for a moment and then smiled. "I thought I recognized that luscious maiden."

Sango turned to the monk. "Miroku!"

"I recognize you," the blonde who was called Gourry said. "You're the one that fondled Amelia!"

"Fondled is such a harsh word. It was more like I appreciated her beautiful attributes."

"Attributes my ass," the red head muttered to the stone demon as he let out a sharp laugh.

"Guys! This is not funny!" the black haired woman named Amelia yelled as she glared at her two laughing companions.

"Actually Amelia," said the red head. "It is."

"Shit Miroku," Inuyasha said, sounding honestly annoyed. "Why do you have to go and feel-up every woman in sight?"

"I can't help it that I find the female figure so alluring," he defended.

"Oh, I know!" the red head smiled, the look having a wicked quality to it. "In payment to your offense against Amelia, you should give us your jewel shards."

"I agree," said the stone demon. "It's only fair."

"Fuck that!" Inuyasha yelled. "Like that'll ever happen!"

"What do you want with it?" Kagome questioned deciding to change tactics.

"That's none of your business," responded the demon.

"Well, you can hardly expect us to give our pieces to you if you won't tell us what they're for," Sango decided to add to the conversation.

"It's for a righteous cause," Amelia said. Her eyes seemed to suddenly blaze.

"That's not good enough," Kagome responded. "It's my responsibility to take care of the jewel."

"I've heard of you," Amelia exclaimed. "You're the guardian of the Shikon no Tama."

"Really?" the red head reacted, raising an eyebrow at the demon. Together they shared a look.

"You are the guardian, right?" the stone demon asked.

"Yes, I am," she replied.

"What's she the guardian of?" the blond asked.

The red head exasperatedly thwacked him on the head, which was quite a feat considering the staggering height difference between the two. "Not now Gourry; just try to pretend that you're smart."

The stone demon glanced at Inuyasha, then turned to face Kagome. "Look, perhaps we can make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

She was openly curious. Who were these people?

"Look, we don't need to keep the jewel, we just need to use it for something. Once we're finished with our task, you guys can have it back."

"That's not bloody likely," Inuyasha replied. "Why would we ever give the shards to you?"

"Name your price," the red head interjected.

"That's not the point," Inuyasha replied

"Come on," the stone demon said. "Everyone has a price."

"Inuyasha's right, that's not the point," Kagome reaffirmed. "We still do not know your intentions. And even if we did, that means nothing. In fact, we need your shards."

"It looks like this is coming down to a fight," the demon grinned.

"Oh come on," the red head groaned. "You're good guys, and we're mostly good guys. Neither of us want to fight; I'm sure we can work something out."

Inuyasha growled and pulled out Tetsusaiga.

The demon countered by waving him forward.

"Honestly," Amelia stepped in between the two groups. "What if we work together? They're still jewel shards out there that need to be found. It's not like we can do anything without the full jewel anyway. Perhaps with all of us together, we can find it faster?"

"Hell no," Inuyasha cried.

"I don't know," Kagome responded.

"We'll help you gather the rest of the shards, and you let us use the jewel. It will be returned right after we are done."

Kagome sighed and scratched her head. She wanted to say yes, she really did. "I'm still not sure."

"We'll still pay you. Anything you want."

"Look girl," Inuyasha said. "It doesn't matter if we say yes, cause there's nothing you can give us that would be worth it."

"Are you sure about that?" the stone demon asked.

"What are you going to use it for?" Kagome asked again.

The red head looked at the stone demon. He sighed and stared at his hands.

"It's yours to tell," the red head said to him.

"I know," he paused and looked at Kagome. "With the right spell, we can use the jewel to return myself to human."

"Think about it," the red head persueded. "We're using for a good cause. Hell, we'll even pay for it. And, we'll return it when we're done."

Kagome bit her lip and looked at the rest of her group. She needed to talk the rest of them. "Can you give us a moment alone?" She asked the newcomers.

The demon nodded his head. Kagome lead the others back towards where the carcass lay.

"I don't trust them," Inuyasha immediately interjected.

"Well duh," Kagome countered. "You hardly trust anybody."

"Do you believe them?" Sango inquired.

"I think so."

"You only think so?" Miroku asked.

"Look I don't know. I just don't know if I can deny their request if it can help them turn him human."

"But can we really trust other people with the jewel?" Miroku continued.

"No, it's too important. It doesn't matter whether or not they are trustworthy," Kagome answered.

"I still don't think we can trust them," Inuyasha declared.

"I agree with Inuyasha," Miroku stated.

Kagome sighed. "Sango?"

"Geez Kagome, I have no idea."

"I know, it's a hard decision," Kagome thought out loud. "But I think we should seriously consider their proposition."

"I agree with Kagome," Shippo piped in sticking his head over Kagome's shoulder.

"Shut it brat." Inuyasha turned his focus back to her, "Come on Kagome, I know you want to save everybody. But I'm not sure if helping them is worth the risk. They could be lying, or this could be a trick of Naraku's. We just don't know."

"I know," Kagome looked at the ground.

Damn it, why does this have to be so difficult.

"I'll be behind you in whatever you decide," Sango said.

"I need more time to think about this."

"Then tell them that," Miroku replied.

"If they are sincere then they can wait while you think," Sango said.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked her favorite hanyo.

"It's your decision. If you need more time, then you can have it. It's not like they can say no. But I still don't trust them. I want everybody to watch their backs. Stay together, don't go wandering off alone. We have to keep an eye on them. They might be behaving now but we have no idea what they are capable of. I don't want to give them an excuse to attack."

Kagome nodded to him in understanding and walked over to where the onlookers were watching from afar.

"I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes," she said to them. "I need more time to think about it. Give me a day."

"If you say no, we will fight you for the shards that you have," the demon replied.

"I know."

"Is there anything we can do to help persuade you? Or payment? Believe it or not, but we can probably get you almost anything" Amelia chimed.

"I don't know."

"Tell you what," the red head said. "We'll hang around by your side until you make your decision. It'll give you a chance to figure out our characters. And us a chance to find a payment."

"Even if you pay us, it doesn't mean that we will let you use the jewel," Miroku replied.

"I know, but we'll just have to see," the demon said. "Amelia's right, between the four of us, we can probably get you anything."

Kagome sighed. This was going to be interesting. She didn't know if she could trust these four. Hell, she didn't even know two of their names.

"That's Amelia and Gourry," she pointed at them. "But what are your names?"

"I'm Zelgadis, and this is Lina."

"I'm Kagome, that's Inuyasha and Shippo's in my backpack. The other two are Sango and Miroku."

Amelia giggled and scrunched her hands up in excitement, "What's the adorable little kitty's name?"

"It is not a kitty," Sango harshly defended while Kirara let out a small mew, "It's an ancient powerful demon and her name is Kirara."

"Can I pet it?" Amelia eagerly asked while stretching out her hand.

"You do not pet an ancient demon!" Sango sounded offended at the innocent gesture.

Amelia sheepishly retracted her hand and stared at Kirara longingly.

"Well, now that's done," Inuyasha said. "I'm hungry."


	7. Deal, or No Deal

**A/N: **I apologize, again, for the lateness of this chapter. However, I am excited that it is over because things only get more exciting from here on out. Let me know what you think, I love constructive criticism and to hear your overall thoughts on the story.

As always, my beta was the lovely Fuu43. I don't know what I'd do without you.

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 6: Deal, or no Deal

* * *

Lina was mesmerized by the dog ears in front of her for more then one reason.

Firstly, dog ears were not even remotely a human trait, which meant that the person was not technically a person. She tilted her head to the side in thought. He was probably a monster of some kind. Her head cocked to the other side as she studied them more closely. But, then again, didn't the locals say something about a half demon that was with the hunters? Well, she was pretty sure the half demon wasn't either of the two women or the man. So that left the guy with the doggy ears. The insanely cute doggy ears. Her mouth scrunched as she compared him and their own part-monster companion. How much if at all was he like Zelgadis? Was he too some hybrid created by magic?

The second reason spawned from the first. Could he be trusted? This question applied to the whole group of course, but the ears added a little extra something. If he were a monster of some kind, then trusting him even a little bit would be a big fat no. A morbid obese, capital letters _NO_. Monsters were not trustworthy, they were never ever ever trustworthy. EVER. She had been taught that lesson more times than she cared to count. There were scars to prove it. So, Lina hoped that the locals were right in saying that he was only a half demon. Not that that made him a whole lot more trustworthy than if he were a full monster. She resisted the urge to throw up her hands. This was getting ridiculous. She did not need any more hassles.

Thirdly; Lina suspected that none of her other companions had noticed them yet. She was disappointed in them. How could a person that had eyes not notice them? Zelgadis and Gourry were still concentrating on the sword at his side and Amelia was too preoccupied by the demon-cat-creature thingy. The thing was cute…true…but come on! Dog ears on a person that was otherwise pretty normal looking?

The fourth reason even freaked her out a little bit; she wanted to touch them. They were tempting. Soft looking, white, cute even. Lina wanted to rub them between her fingers and feel the fur move. Her fingers clenched. This was something she would expect from Amelia, giving into the evil-cute-driven-needs. She stared at the back of Inuyasha's head trying to decide what he would do if she just had a quick feel. A quick touch. Would he roll over and beg on his tummy like a dog? Hmmm. . . .she thought probably no.

"What the hell are you looking at the back of my head for?" He yelled over his shoulder. She thought she saw a flash of fang. Damn supernatural creatures, they always seemed to know when you were looking at them.

Lina returned his look with her own glare and said in her smarmiest voice, "Nothing."

He snorted in reply and rolled his eyes. Lina still stared. Too bad the rest of him wasn't as cute and cuddly as the ears.

Gourry glanced over at Lina then followed her gaze to where she was looking. He raised his eyebrows and bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Are those dog ears?"

He sounded both confused and wowed.

"Yep."

"Huh," he pondered. "What is he? Are they real?"

"Not sure."

"You know," Inuyasha called back, his ears twitching slightly as he spoke. "I can still freakin' hear you even if you're whispering!"

Lina frowned and ignored the comment. Gourry made an apologetic noise and sheepishly straightened while rubbing the back of his head. What she really wanted to do was talk to her group without the newcomers. They needed a game plan. And if this Inuyasha character could hear them whispering, a private conversation was going to be difficult. She pulled at the ends of her hair. Just what she needed, more problems.

Currently, the shard hunters were searching for a place to camp for the night. Lina and crew were tagging along. It was a tense trek. Even with the shard hunters leading and her crew following, she could feel an itch in the small of her back like someone was watching her. Like she said, a better game plan needed to be made.

Her eyes flickered forward toward their new 'friends.' She was still unsure what to make of them. Kagome kept looking back at them before whispering something to Inuyasha every once an awhile. Shippo, who also was on the possible monster list, kept trying to butt into the conversation much to Inuyasha's dismay. He was still sitting in Kagome's backpack, just like a little kid. The whole little kid aspect made Lina doubt that Shippo was monster. She didn't even know if monsters were ever children, or if they were born fully grown adults. Hmm. . . .something to think about later. But the idea of a monster as a kid gave her the heebie-jeebies. Sango and Miroku were talking very quietly, most likely about the same topic Inuyasha and Kagome were. Aka…them. Although, she had noticed Miroku's hand nearing Sango's rear end several times. The woman's gaze would then fix on him and he would smile boyishly, removing his hand as he did so. She wasn't sure what that relationship was about.

Her eyes glared once again at Inuyasha's ears. It simply wasn't fair. Since they could obviously not hear their new friends' conversations, shouldn't they get the same privacy? Not that she could say that out loud. That would be a big no-no. Beside her Zelgadis walked purposefully with his cape in full coverage mode. His eyes stared forward in thought. He seemed to have come to the same conclusion as her. Or he was just being very quiet or depressed or thoughtful. With him in full 'don't look at me mode' it was practically impossible to tell. Lina was betting on quiet and thoughtful because he seriously had no reason to mope around right now. At least, she hoped he didn't. She didn't want to deal with a depressed-sulky chimera.

"Hey Lina," Gourry whispered in her ear again. She supposed he was trying to be sneaky. Unfortunately, the height difference made it impossible. He was practically bent at a ninety degree angle.

"What?" she quietly hissed…er…replied.

"I'm hungry."

Lina laughed, the sound jarring the stillness. "You don't have to whisper about that."

Gourry pulled away, more than a little bit confused. He looked like a befuddled puppy.

"But it's so quiet."

Lina waved a hand around. "That's just from the tense atmosphere. Besides, I'm hungry too. Isn't it about lunch time?" She turned to Amelia. The girl was humming to herself and playing with her bracelets. "Hey Amelia, what do we have to eat for lunch?"

"Um, some hard bread, cheese and dried beef," she responded, her eyes shifting from her wrists to the cat thing near Sango. Lina could see the want in her eyes.

"But we ate that yesterday for lunch and the day before, and the day before that," Gourry whined. His feet dragged, and she could see the tears at the corners of his eyes. He, like her, appreciated good food at great quality and in great proportions.

"And it's not very filling," Lina added.

"I know. But we are traveling and we can't afford to always eat at restaurants and we certainly can't carry fancy food, or a lot of food with us because it will spoil."

Lina could read the underlying words. _We can't afford taking you and Gourry out, and you would eat all of any good food we bought immediately._

"This sucks," Lina moaned.

"Quit whining you two," Zel said. He still hadn't emerged from beneath his cape and his voice was both exasperated and slightly muffled.

"Maybe we can find a stream and go fishing," Lina turned her attention to the shard hunters in front of them. Dog boy and Kagome continued to talk in low tones. "Hey, Kagome. Can we camp somewhere near a stream so we can go fishing?" She asked them. It couldn't hurt to ask.

Kagome turned around, a little surprised that they were talking to her. Her wide eyes blinked as she toyed with a strand of hair. "Um, sure, that shouldn't be a problem. Inuyasha, do you have any suggestions?"

His eyes fixed on hers, and Lina wasn't sure what to make of his expression. While Inuyasha and Kagome talked it over, Miroku and Sango tuned into their conversation.

"There should be a spot about another fifteen minutes from here. I saw it while we were at Mr. Yuki's this morning."

Inuyasha was right. It took slightly longer than fifteen minutes, but they found the stream. The water ran wide, deep, and Lina could practically taste the fish she was sure to catch in it. It only took few more minutes for them to find a flat and clear enough place to camp close to the path.

It was a nerve-racking atmosphere while they set up camp. It was apparent that neither group trusted each other, and Lina didn't blame them. In fact, she was in total agreement. They were still trying to figure out whether they were even going to share the jewel shards. If the answer was no, then there would be a fight. Hence, the lack of trust. You couldn't trust someone who you may have to kill, or who may try to kill you.

She watched Kagome take off her back pack and Shippo jumped out. The kid tripped over his own feet twice before gaining his footing and scampering off. He made a run over to some wild flowers and starting making a bouquet. Shippo didn't seem to notice the dirt or roots still attached.

Kagome balanced the bag precariously in her arms, dipping slightly from the weight. Inuyasha sighed seemingly at her before rolling his eyes and taking it back. The woman looked embarrassed as she leaned forward and said something to him. His ears twitched as he held the pack open so she could dig through it. Interesting. Lina filed the scene away. She needed to understand the dynamics of this group.

It was Kagome that they needed to convince about the jewel. She was the one in charge, which Lina understood. After all, she was the priestess. Although… Lina's eyes followed Inuyasha. She was willing to bet that Inuyasha was the muscle. He talked big, but the way he carried himself spoke louder than his words. He knew how to handle the huge sword he carried. Sango and Miroku looked like they would be a good ally in a conflict too. Each moved fluidly, and had a self awareness about them that she usually saw in fighters. How good they were though, she wasn't quite sure. Miroku was dressed like a monk of some kind. The purple of his robes reminded her of Xellos.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief. Thank God that Xellos wasn't there. Lina just didn't think that she could handle that level of frustration. It had been a long time since she'd seen the meddling priest, and she was in no hurry see him again. Ever. Things always seemed to go to shit whenever he appeared.

Gourry was putting up a tent with the help of Amelia. Even though neither of them had the best common sense, she was pretty certain that between the two of them they could put it up. They'd done it enough times that she didn't need to supervise. She could hear Gourry complaining to the younger woman about the lack of food, and her incredibly off topic response about how she wanted a demon kitty pet. Lina felt her eyes roll before moving on. Zel moved branches and other underbrush, creating a space for the fire pit. He was still in his thoughtful/quiet/depressed mood. So, that left Lina to go find some fire wood. Over the years of traveling together, they had gotten very efficient at setting up camp.

Within half an hour, they were done. It looked like the other group was finished as well.

"Come on," Lina said. "Let's go fishing."

"All of us?" Amelia asked.

"Yeah," Lina replied turning to the other group in an attempt to be diplomatic. "We'll probably catch more than enough fish, you're welcome to have some if you watch our site."

"Nummy fish!" Shippo exclaimed as he wove his collection of flowers into a necklace. She eyed the necklace warily. There were still roots and dirt connected to the otherwise pretty blossoms. As long as she didn't have to wear it, things were fine.

Inuyasha snorted. "Why the hell would we want your fish?"

"Inuyasha," Kagome swatted his arm and glared at him before turning back to Lina. "That would be wonderful. Thank you very much."

Lina dug into her pack and grabbed her trusty fishing gear. It was well worn from use, but still in great condition. Gourry was already ahead of her, his gear slung haphazardly over a shoulder. He walked downstream, scoping out a good spot. She headed his way with Amelia and Zelgadis not far behind her.

"What about here?" he asked, eyeing the water thoughtfully.

Lina looked back; nope they still were not far enough away. She wanted to make sure that they would not be overheard. Them all leaving together was a bit obvious, but it was the best she could do. Who knew how long it would take for another chance to talk privately.

"Let's go down stream some more. There should be some good fishing near those reeds," she pointed the spot out to him and led the way.

It took several more minutes to hike to the spot. But it was worth the distance to make sure they couldn't be overheard.

Lina sighed as she sat down on a rock to tie a hook onto her line. She flipped her heavy hair over one shoulder.

"So," she said to no one in general.

"I don't see why we have to walk so far away just to go fishing," Gourry stated. His stomach growled.

"Privacy," Lina replied.

"Oh," he looked thoughtful for a moment. "But won't the others be suspicious?"

"Perhaps, but I think that they will want to speak among themselves as much as we do," Zelgadis threw his line in the water as he spoke.

"I agree. Now, we have lots to talk about," Lina stated.

"Yeah, like whether we can trust them.? How much to tell them? How long we should travel with them? What the payment will be? What _is_ Inuyasha? How big of a threat is he? Are the others dangerous? How dangerous? The list just goes on and on," Zel rambled. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Among friends once again, he had removed the covering from the bottom of his face.

"That's a long list," Amelia stated the obvious.

"Well, let's start at the top," Lina sighed. "I'm sure that they were watching the fight with the grape ape thing, or at least part of it."

"I only think they saw the end of it," Gourry stated.

"Why's that?" Lina asked. Her line gave a slight jerk, but it was empty.

"Well, they kept looking at Zelgadis like he was the leader. I mean they didn't pay much attention to you. So, they must have not seen a whole lot of what happened."

Lina smiled at the blonde's unexpected insight. Occasionally he said something that surprised her.

"I agree," Zel replied. "They probably saw me kill the monster with the Rah Tilt. My guess is they also noticed Amelia healing you."

"So they think that I'm dead weight," Lina raised an eyebrow. She didn't like that.

"Something like that," Zel smiled. "We can use it to our advantage."

Lina sighed, she really liked being in charge.

"So, am I going to play a stupid little girl?" She'd tried it before and it hadn't gone… well.

"No, just don't show off your power," Zel replied. "You can show restraint, right?"

Lina glared at Zel.

"Right Lina?" Amelia asked. "I mean no offense but sometimes you do have a problem with over doing it."

"Excuse me!" Lina yelled. She didn't understand why everyone was suddenly attacking her! She always got the job done! She didn't dance around it either. Something needed blowing up, she blew it up!

"Even I know it's true," Gourry inputted while shaking his head.

"I do not have a problem!"

Everyone suddenly became interested in fishing. She fought to control her breathing.

"You know," Gourry said. "The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem."

"Shut up Gourry!"

She hit the back of his head.

"Anyway," Zel asserted, ignoring the two of them. "Make sure to tone in down Lina."

"Fine," she grumbled. She saw their point, she really did. And it did make sense. But she was known for being one of the best, and damn it, she liked it that way. It wasn't like it would be difficult; she had already let Zelgadis take the lead with speaking to them about the shards. The idea made sense. It was logical. Damn logic.

"Next topic," Lina uttered, still very annoyed with the first one. "Inuyasha. What the hell is he? I mean the locals said he was a half demon, so does that he mean he's like you Zel? Because, I got to say I'm not so sure what else he could be. He might be like a half werewolf half human. Remember Dilgear? The half troll half werewolf thing. He could be like that."

"Well, why can't he be just half demon?" Gourry asked.

Lina shrugged. "If he is he must have been created the same way as Zel because humans and monsters don't mate. It's just not possible."

She cringed at the thought.

"Why?"

"Well, it would be like mating a horse and a tree." She saw Gourry try to picture it, "They are just too different. A monster's body, or being or whatever you call it mostly resides on the astral plane. Hell, in reality monsters are sexless, or I guess both sexes. They are made completely different than us."

"He's definitely the most dangerous of the group," Amelia said.

"Or at least the most rash," Zel added.

"Which is what makes him the most dangerous," Gourry affirmed, nodding his head vigorously. Man, Gourry was on a roll today. It had been awhile since he had so many intelligent thoughts in a row.

"I agree," Lina nodded. "We'll have to watch him, but we need to also pay attention to the others. They have been hunting the shards for while now. So they know what they are doing." She kicked her legs back and forth, "I hope that it doesn't come down to a fight. As much as I enjoy a good fight, I want to avoid one if possible."

"Which means that we have to find a way for them to work with us," Gourry said. Lina felt her jaw start to drop before she caught it. This was getting freaky.

"Well, how much should we even tell them about our situation?" Amelia asked. "They already know about why we want the jewel, but the monk also knows that we are looking for Kara. I asked him about it when I saw him the other day. He said that he didn't know who I was talking about. But that seems fishy. I mean if these are the guardians of the jewel, they probably have an idea as to where to find her."

"Yeah," Lina thought out loud, tapping her free hand against her chin. "Kara gave away her shard easily. I have no doubt that she either knew what it was, or had many others, or could get that one back. Or both. Hmmm…Maybe they're rivals. If we play our cards right they might help us find her or tell us what they know."

"Then we can return the book back to daddy!" Amelia exclaimed.

"Should we wait to say anything until they make their decision to ask about Kara?" Gourry asked.

"I don't know," Lina sighed. This was getting complicated. Scratch that, even _more _complicated.

"Well, Kara is obviously a bad guy and they are good guys," Amelia began. "So, they will help us find her."

"It's not that simple Amelia," Zelgadis lectured as Amelia visibly deflated. "If Kara does possess a great deal of shards, then the other group might not want us to find her."

"Then we wait," Lina stated. "Unless they bring it up first, then… shit. . .I don't know. . We wing it?"

Zel snorted. "Nice plan."

"Shut up," Lina defended. "Like you can do any better."

Zel gave her a smirk as he pulled his line out of the water, complete with a fish. It was the first catch of the day. Damn it, technically, he just did better. And every time he did better he gave her that stupid shit-eating grin. Damn, she wanted to just wipe that stupid smile off of his face. Figuratively and literally. But she supposed hitting him right now was a bad idea.

"A fish, great...I don't see how that will help us with finding the solution-" the rest of Lina's sarcastic comment was cut off by Gourry.

"I call that fish! He's mine."

"We need the jewel," Zel said ignoring the blonde. "So we'll get it. Whether by cooperation, or force. I don't give a damn if we have to fight them and torture the information out of each and everyone of them if it means we get the jewel."

Amelia made a face. "You can't mean that. . . .can you?"

"If that is my only way of become human again, then yes."

"Man Zel," Gourry said, temporarily distracted from the fish. "That was depressing."

"No kidding," Lina added, maybe he _had_ been depressed and not thoughtful earlier. "We just have to make sure that we find a way to work together so it doesn't come to that. They did say that they'd consider payment for our partnership."

"I don't think they meant it," Amelia frowned. "My guess is that they said so just to get us off of their case."

"Not true," Lina persisted. "For the right price, you can buy anything. And I mean anything."

"So, we just have to figure out what is important enough that they might share the jewel for," Gourry finished her sentence for her.

"Yep."

"It can't be money," Amelia thought out loud.

"I think it will have to be something personal," Zel suggested. "Something we won't figure out until we spend more time with them."

"Damn," Lina muttered.

"Now Lina," Amelia smiled. "Not everyone can be as greedy as you are."

Lina scowled at her and pulled a fish out of the river.

* * *

"Why the fuck did you allow them to leave!" Inuyasha yelled at Kagome as soon as their visitors were out of hearing. 

"Excuse me," Kagome responded. "But I thought that we might just want the chance to have a private conversation about them without worrying about being overheard."

"You know damn well that they're doing the fucking same thing."

"Well duh," Kagome frowned then decided to appeal to his appetite. "At least now you'll be getting fish for lunch."

Inuyasha briefly smiled at the thought before frowning again. "Damn it bitch, don't change the subject!"

"Inuyasha, calm down," Sango came into their conversation, Kirara following behind her. "Kagome's right, we need a chance to talk. Who cares if they are talking too, because if they trust us enough to leave, then we should show the same courtesy."

"Fuck courtesy!"

Kagome sighed loudly as she sat down, leaning her back against a tree. He had been so nice earlier, holding her pack for her while she dug through it for supplies. She'd almost, _almost_, forgotten how aggravating he could be. Funny, considering that he was usually in such a pissy state. "How can I just tell them no without even considering their offer?"

"Simple, you tell them to fuck off."

"Inuyasha! How can you say that? Remember, there was a time when you felt the same way. A time when you wanted to become human as well." Kagome hated even remotely hinting to her hanyo about Kikyo. It not only got him riled up, but made her depressed and angry. However, sometimes it couldn't be avoided.

"Yeah, so what. And now I realized what a bunch of shit that notion was in the first place. Why the fuck did I ever want to be weak and pathetic?"

"Being human is not weak and pathetic!" Kagome yelled back at him. How could he never learn? "Out of every one here I thought that you just might be the only one to really understand how he feels. That you might just feel a little sympathy for the guy. But no, you can't even consider the offer."

She wanted to stamp her feet at his childishness. She settled on crossing her arms and turning her head.

"There is no way in hell that I will willingly let them use the shards. Damn it Kagome, the shards are not a toy. We cannot just let whoever comes along with a sob story use them. You are the guardian you know, so why don't you fucking do your job!"

"That's right. I'm the guardian, not you. So that means you don't even get a say in what happens to the shards."

She came to her feet, wanting to even the playing field in any way she could.

"That's not what I meant wench, and you know it!"

He moved closer to her and she could practically feel the heat coming off of him. She stood her ground and looked up into his angry face. She knew how he worked. If you gave him an inch, he'd take a mile.

"Calm down you two," Miroku finally decided to intervene. "I've had enough. You have to admit Kagome, Inuyasha has some points-"

"Damn right I do!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"And," Miroku continued. "Kagome has some valid reasoning as well for considering their offer."

"Keh, whatever," Inuyasha scoffed. "Feeling sorry for them is hardly a reason."

"That is not the only reason that I want to help them!" Kagome huffed back.

"What? Do you want that blue freak!"

Kagome felt a scream growing in her throat. How exactly did he get that absurd notion? It was just like him to jump to such a ridiculous reason. She was going to kill him.

"Inuyasha," Miroku continued to moderate the conversation. He almost looked…amused. "Why don't we let Kagome explain all of her reasons."

"Why? It's not like they're going to make any sense."

Kagome glared at her companion.

"You won't know unless you give her a chance," Miroku gave a tentative smile.

"Fine," Inuyasha snarled.

All eyes turned to Kagome.

"Oh, what makes you think I want to explain now?" Kagome re-crossed her arms dramatically.

"Kagome," Miroku sighed. "Stop acting like Inuyasha."

Kagome let out a small snort.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha yelled.

"This fighting is accomplishing nothing," Sango said.

"You're right," Kagome sighed, putting a hand briefly to her forehead. "The way that I see it is if the others are gathering all of the jewel shards, it means that they are going to have to go after Naraku sometime. After all, he does have over half of the shards by now. I think that the only ones left are those located in Kouga's legs. You guys saw them take down that monster earlier. I think they could be valuable allies in the fight with Naraku."

"Bullshit! We don't need them to take down Naraku. I can do that all by myself," Inuyasha shot at her.

"Oh yes," Kagome replied sarcastically. "It's not like you fought dozens of times before and always got your butt kicked or anything like that. How could I be so stupid to forget?"

"Are you making fun of me!" Inuyasha snarled at her.

"Would you put away your pride for one second Inuyasha," Sango interrupted before there was more fighting. "Kagome is right. Look at how many times we went against Naraku in the past. We have never won. If he lets us gather up the other half of the shards then he doesn't have to look as hard for them. He can just steal them from us. . .which if you haven't noticed is exactly what he's been doing. Now that there aren't that many shards left to be gathered, it's just a matter of time until the next fight with him comes. And this won't be a like the others. He will come after us with everything that he's got. He won't just steal the shards, run away and taunt us. He'll kill us. We can kill his incarnations, hell we might even be able to kill him, but do you honestly think that we can kill all of them if they attack at once? And do you think that we could defeat him and his minions without taking heavy losses? We are going to need more people to help us in this battle. I don't want Kagome or…hell even Miroku to die because we were being stubborn. And if they are willing to help fight Naraku in exchange to use the whole jewel; then I agree with Kagome. It might just be worth it."

Kagome smiled at her friend. "Thank you Sango, I don't think that I could have put it any better."

"And what if this is just some elaborate plot of Naraku's?" Inuyasha shot back at the girls. He'd listened to Sango's short speech with a growing frown on his face.

"I don't think that's the case," Miroku spoke up. "The girl with the black hair, I think her name was Amelia, she was the one who was asking about a woman who suspiciously sounded like Kagura."

"Really. Huh," Kagome said. Things were getting more complicated it appeared. How exactly had they met Kagura?

"That doesn't mean shit!" Inuyasha defended.

"I disagree," Sango inputted. "If they are asking around about Kagura, then they're probably not working with Naraku. I mean, why would they ask us about it? If they worked for Naraku, then they'd know who we are, and they would obviously make the connection that we would recognize who they were asking about. I'm sorry Inuyasha, but it doesn't make sense."

Miroku nodded his head. "I think we should give them a chance."

"Me too," Sango added.

"I think they're nice," Shippo added for the sidelines. Kagome had seriously forgotten that he was even there. Oops. She felt like a bad parent.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha yelled bringing Kagome back to their current fight.

"Come on Inuyasha. If they are willing to help us kill Naraku and get the rest of the jewel shards, I think it is reasonable payment to let them use the jewel. We'll just have to get a clear idea of what they are going to do with it," Kagome pursued. She didn't want to say it out loud, but the thought of the final battle scared her. She didn't want anyone to die. Not Sango, not Miroku…and she didn't even want to think about anything happening to Inuyasha.

"I don't like this," Inuyasha muttered. "And I still don't trust them."

"I know," Kagome replied, trying now to soothe his ruffled feathers. She stepped closer to him and put a tentative hand on his shoulder. "I don't necessarily trust them either, but I'm willing to give them a chance. Please, just give them one too. I need us to stand together."

"I'll think about it," he responded, turning his back and walking away.

"Where are you-" Kagome started.

"Give him some time, he's going to go do exactly what you asked and think about it." Miroku said cutting her off, "You're probably the only one that could have convinced him to do that." He transferred his staff from one hand to the other, "I know he wouldn't have listened to me or Sango."

"Oh," Kagome sighed as she watched Inuyasha's retreating form. She saw his point, she really did, but she also understood the potential that this union could have. They all saw what the blue light did to that monster. The power she had felt from it had been incredible. What if it had the same effect on Naraku? Or perhaps they had some other spell or power that could be helpful. The information that they could provide was too important to just blow them off. This could be the big break that they needed. There was no way that she could just pass this chance up. No way in hell. Inuyasha's ego was just going to have to get over the fact that although they were getting stronger, they wouldn't be able to defeat Naraku as they were now.

Once Inuyasha left her sight, she turned back to Sango and Miroku. She had no problem disagreeing and arguing her point to her hanyo, but it was always easier to have the others on her side. Sango and Miroku agreeing with her definitely boosted Kagome's confidence in her decision. It wasn't as if she was going to tell their visitors, 'here take the jewel and do with it as you please.' No way. She was not that stupid. Kagome wouldn't let the jewel leave her sight. Whatever ritual or spell that was needed could be done with her present. And if they didn't like it, tough. She was the guardian and she had a job to do.

"It really is the right decision," Sango's voice broke Kagome out of her thoughts. "No matter what Inuyasha says."

"I know," Kagome replied. She was going to say more when voices in the distance distracted her. Looking around her shoulder, she could see the young red head running her way with the blonde man chasing after her.

"Lina!" he called. "That's not fair!"

"Well I caught most of the fish and I decide that you don't get any Gourry!" her reply made Kagome smile. The girl did have spunk.

"But," Gourry responded. "You cheated!"

"Stop being jealous because you didn't catch any!"

"How could I catch any when you decided that you were just going to levitate them out of the river? That is not fishing, it's cheating."

By now, Lina had arrived at the large campsite, a bundle of fish floating behind her. Kagome hadn't even noticed the gravity defying fish before. She walked up to them and waved her arm above the fish. She couldn't help it. Lina watched her as Kagome repeated the gesture with underneath the bundle.

"Wow," Kagome smiled. "They're actually floating."

"Oh," Lina looked at the fish. "Well, yeah. I mean I wasn't going to carry all of them back myself and if I let Gourry here carry them then he would think that he was entitled to eat some."

"But I am going to eat some!"

Lina just ignored his outburst as he stopped next to her. "Does that surprise you?"

"Um, no not really," Kagome shrugged, not sure how much she should give away. "I mean I'm pretty used to magic and stuff, but I usually don't see it used so casually. Most of the sorcerers that I have met in the past need rituals and incense and other stuff to do spells. Demons tend to do magic and whatnot more often, but you're human so it's just unexpected."

"Well, this is a simple levitation spell, so it's fairly easy," she said offhand. Kagome digested her words. Magic for her seemed to be something done everyday and with little preparation. Interesting.

"Please Lina, let me have some fish," Gourry pleaded with her. His eyes had gotten large and dewy.

She continued to ignore him.

"What do you mean by easy? Easy as in anyone can do it?" Kagome asked.

"Um. . . .well, I guess not anyone. I mean, not every person out there can do magic, they can't levitate stuff. But you're a priestess, right? So you should have some magical aptitude, it would just be a matter of teaching you."

"Hmm. . ." Kagome continued to stare at the fish as she thought.

"Where's Inuyasha," Zelgadis asked as he caught up with Lina, Amelia in tow.

"Oh, well he's just off sulking somewhere. He'll be back as soon as he gets hungry," Kagome snorted. "Which will probably be in ten minutes or so."

"Sulking," Amelia asked. "What's the matter?"

"Just a difference of opinion," Sango replied, smoothing over anymore questions with a vague answer. "We'll talk about it later. Those fish sure look good."

"I agree," Miroku began to add more wood to the fire. "After all, we both had an adventurous morning. A nice meal would be tasty."

"What did you guys do?" Amelia asked.

"We had to exorcize a demon out of a poor unfortunate soul's house," Miroku sighed. He straightened his purple robe and put on his 'serious' face. Swiping back his bangs with his rosary covered hand; he let it hover in the light with obvious emphasis. She wondered if they bought it.

Sango made a face. "Yeah right. The only thing you were doing this morning was staring at the ass of the poor unfortunate soul's daughter."

"Why Sango, are you accusing me of not doing my job?"

"No, I'm accusing you of being a lecherous monk. Which I know you can't refute." Sango smiled as she turned her attention away from him. "So, what can I do to help?"

It took an hour for lunch to finally be over. Cooking for everyone, even over the large fire took longer than expected. Not to mention the antics that the other group actively engaged in. As Kagome predicted, Inuyasha showed up ten minutes later claiming that he was hungry. She let his sulkiness slide, and even shared her fish with him. See, she didn't hold a grudge…even if he didn't say thank you. Lina argued loudly with Gourry about why he shouldn't get any fish. She even made a ten point list and gave a presentation. Gourry twiddled his thumbs, whined, and looked about ready to cry. Amelia was not amused and proceeded to lecture Lina about the importance of sharing. The others watched trying not to snicker at the situation because when someone slipped, Amelia would turn to them and say something about how Lina's greediness was a serious problem and that her antics were not funny. Shippo ate his fish contently and talked with Amelia. They were talking about the flower necklace he had made which he had given to Kagome as soon as he had finished. She had reluctantly tried it on for him, even if it dirtied her outfit. Overall, lunch had a pleasant atmosphere and tasty food. In fact it was about a hundred times lighter then the atmosphere earlier. It was almost enough to make Kagome trust the new people, almost.

* * *

Lina watched as Kagome made her way over to a large tree near the river after lunch was cleaned up. The short conversation they had had earlier buzzing around the inside of her skull. Since Kagome lived on the other side of the barrier, it would explain why she hadn't seen much advanced level magic. But levitation wasn't that advanced. Lina bit her lip in thought. Kagome was a priestess, so she should have enough magical training to be able to do a simple spell like that. Most priestesses were trained as soon as they began to show magical talent. But Lina had a feeling that Kagome had had hardly any training at all. 

Smoothing her skirt, Kagome sat down and crossed her legs. Lina gave a small smile as she watched the girl meditate. . .or more like try to meditate. She entered the first stage quite quickly, but the deeper stages where one connected with their magic was not coming easily to her. Even from twenty feet away, Lina could feel Kagome's wild magic come out in uncontrolled bursts. The girl was powerful, yes, incredibly powerful. But without the proper control she was barely scraping the top. Interesting. It seemed like the young priestess had very poor management over her powers. Interesting indeed.

Lina smiled, a plan was forming. They needed an extra edge, another way for them to gain trust and a better footing. Possibly even a partial payment? She could hope. This might be the ticket.

"Hey Amelia," she commented to her friend who was teaching Shippo a game. Amelia looked up at her and smiled.

"Yes Miss Lina?" she asked. Shippo was still caught up in whatever the two of them were playing.

"Since you are a shrine maiden and Kagome is a priestess, you two have the same type of magic right?" Lina already knew the answer, but she needed Amelia to come to the conclusion herself.

"You're right!" Amelia exclaimed as she looked over to where Kagome was sitting. Her eyes searching out the fellow white magic practitioner. "Oh dear."

"What's wrong?" Lina inquired, already knowing what her answer would be.

"It's just that Kagome is not doing so well."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It can be quite dangerous for her without a teacher. Someone should really be helping her out."

Lina didn't respond. She knew that Amelia would make the connection in a few more seconds.

"Oh I know," it was like a light bulb lit up on the side of her head. "I could do it. It's obvious that you can't, you know, with you specializing in black magic. But I can." she clapped her hands. "It'll be so much fun!"

Lina glanced back at Kagome and smiled. Oh, yeah. Let the shard hunting begin.


	8. Unions

**A/N: **Thanks to my reviewers. I love to hear from you and devour your input.

As always, my beta was the lovely Fuu43. I don't know what I'd do without you and I can't even explain how happy I am that your internet is working again.

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**  
The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 7: Unions

* * *

Naraku was not happy. Not even torturing Kagura had brightened his mood. . .and a good torture session always lightened his load. Unfortunately for him, there were more pressing matters that he needed to take care of. Making Kagura pay slowly and painfully had just not been possible at the time. His fingers flexed in annoyance at the ripple of news that had been whispered to him. A group was currently asking about Kagura. The same group which he had sent his little watchful bird to follow. A bird that had been an ingenious invention on his part, allowing him to record whatever his bird saw into a basin of water. And what it had recorded did not make him happy. Those infuriating people who had just killed one of his minions. As if he had hundreds of minions to spare!

They had taken down the minion with little effort. That was what had really aggravated him. Naruka prided himself on his creation skills. What should have been a battle ending with the interlopers' deaths was instead a ridiculous farce. His demon was gone, but more importantly, the jewel shard was missing. They had taken _his_ jewel shard. He felt a tightening in his chest that meant his temper was escalating. Taking a calming breath, he waited for the tension to subside before letting his thoughts continue. The fact that they had even recognized the jewel implied that they also had the one from Jextra. They had lucked into obtaining two of _his_ jewel shards. But that was only the beginning of his frustrations.

Inuyasha. It _always _had to be him and that absurd girl Kagome who got in his way. It just had to be them that found the newcomers first. After all, the whole situation was going _just_ as he wanted. In his opinion Kagome's band of do-gooders should be shrinking, not gaining more members. He was already crossing his fingers that the two groups would kill each other off. That would be nice. All that would be left for him to do then would be to sift through the ashes for the rewards.

Naraku smiled. But where would be the fun in that? He had plans. Big plans. He wanted those who opposed him to see their hopes crushed. For them to realize that everything they had done in the past two years was in vain. He wanted them to tremble before his power. He needed the time to torture and kill them slowly. So very slowly. The thought of Kagome watching her precious Inuyasha die was priceless. Or to have Sango tortured by her little brother, forced to pull the life giving shard out of him to save herself. Naruka shivered in pleasure at the thought. There were just too many ideas to have everything end so neatly.

Turning his attention back to the current problem, he went through the images the bird recorded in the basin of water and paused it at the point of the weakling's death. The blue light. How big of a problem was it? As an individual who prided himself on knowing all parts of the supernatural world, it irked him that he didn't recognize the spell. He had no idea how much it could, if at all, damage his future. These people could be a problem. And Naraku already had enough problems to keep himself busy.

A small knock on his door interrupted his thoughts, and he frowned at the interruption.

"I told you that I was to be left alone Kagura," he spoke. Perhaps since she was so eager to see him he could make some time to torture the disobedient girl.

"I apologize my lord," came her reply. "But general Malachi has returned sir."

"Show him in," he responded, turning away from the image. "I shall punish you for your disobedience later."

She didn't respond, not that he had really expected her to.

A moment later Malachi pushed the door open; shoving Kagura out of the way without looking in her direction. She skittered across the room, but kept quiet. Striding in with fluidity and grace, the man tossed back a long piece of black hair that had fallen over the right side of his face. The eye beneath the loose locks was nearly black. The hair almost immediately fell back into place leaving the other eye, this one pale blue, the only one visible. It was framed with thick dark lashes and topped with an arched brow. With his boyish good looks, and pale skin- he looked like a beautiful young lord or musician. The lute strapped onto his back only furthered the illusion. The only incongruence was found in the long black and red robes with gold trim he wore.

"Excellent news Naraku!" he exclaimed. Naraku's lip curled into a snarl. It was intolerable. No bow. Not even a 'my lord' at the end of his sentence.

"Malachi," Naraku drawled. "I demand you show some proper respect."

Malachi barked out a laugh. "You are not my lord yet." He waggled a finger, "I already told you that the day you can defeat me, is the day that I bow. Until then we are partners."

He flopped down onto a chair opposite of Naraku and arranged his robes more comfortably. Naraku's snarl grew larger. He hated the fact that he needed Malachi. Naraku did not have partners. _Partner_. Even the word made his skin crawl. He had slaves. He had minions. He had victims. He had enemies. But he did not have _partners._ Just wait he reminded himself. Just be patient. In a few months his dream would come true. He'd become like Malachi. No, he would be more powerful than Malachi. More powerful than that stupid twerp would ever be. So what if the general did not serve him now? He would be bowing and groveling in only a few months. Naraku knew that. He had worked too hard for fate to turn out any other way. Malachi knew that. The fact that he was helping him said as much.

Malachi, like all monsters, was drawn to power. Naraku watched him pull his instrument into his lap and lazily pluck a few notes. He hummed under his breath and ignored his falling forward hair. He'd come to Naraku a year ago and presented him with a rather straight forward deal. Malachi would help Naruka achieve his ultimate dream, the chance to be a full fledged demon. All that he'd wanted in return was to be second in command when Naraku ascended.

_"There are whispers among the upper kindred about you,"_ were his words from a year ago. _"About the scum who thinks he can become one of us. About the _halfling _even lower then the lesser kindred. You know that they laugh at you. That they don't even think you are worth their time. They won't even send assassins to kill you. That's how insignificant you are.'_

_'But they don't see what I see. They don't hear what I hear. They still believe that the Shikon no Tama is lost forever. The high lords are too lost in their own political struggles to even recognize that a new player has entered the field. You have the potential, but that is nothing without the right allies. The price of my allegiance is nothing compared to the bounty that you will gain. When you are one of us, you might even have enough power to rival Shabranigdu himself."_

Naraku came back to the present with a smile. That day was almost here. "Get on with it."

"I have found two others to join us," Malachi said, not bothering to look up.

"Only two," Naraku raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, well," Malachi waved his hand around and the music halted. "I've already explained to you why it would be difficult to get any in the first place. Be happy that there are two. More will come once you have more power. Like flies to honey. We have more than needed to get the shards back. I'll have Inuyasha's pelt in front of your hearth in no time. Oh and we can't forget the scantily dressed Kagome that you so desire now can we."

Naraku growled, but Malachi had already begun playing again.

"Relax," he sighed. "I know your deepest longings; just give into them. She's so innocent, so pure. Oh how fun!"

Malachi's face transformed into one filled with pure excitement. The large slightly _off _smile looked odd on his pale face. His fingered traveled faster across the instrument in his lap.

"I see that you're enthusiastic," Naraku commented. He'd never been quite sure what to make out of the monster. How much was an act? How much was the true Malachi?

"Of course I am and you should be too."

"When my enemy's corpses are at my feet, then I'll celebrate."

"I'm not saying that the party needs to be now. I'm just saying that everything is going according to plan."

Naraku's attention turned back to the picture he'd been studying.

"I want you to look at this," Naraku motioned to the image. "Do you recognize the spell?"

"Hmmm," Malachi said as he peered at the screen. He'd thankfully moved the lute onto his back. Naraku played the spell back for him. Malachi made a noise when he watched the monster be destroyed. "Where did you get this?"

"Answer the question."

Malachi mashed up his face.

"It's the Rah Tilt."

"And?"

"It's a spell that attacks the astral body. Quite a pain actually. It can easily kill the weak. Can I see more?" asked Malachi.

Naraku changed the screen to an earlier scene. The caster went through the motions before releasing the spell.

"Oh this is not good," he muttered as he stared at the man in white and frowned. His hands twitched as if they wanted his instrument, and his visible brow was furrowed. "Not good at all."

"Do you know him?" Naraku asked intrigued by the reaction. It was one of the few that seemed…real.

"Sort of. Zelgadis Graywards. Seeing him is never a good sign. Can I see the entire event?"

Naraku waved his hand and the scene changed once more. Malachi watched in concentration as Zelgadis and a black haired woman ran off into the woods. The image zoomed in on the two people remaining, a short red head and a blond man with a large sword.

The general tapped his fingers against his lips as he stared at the image, his gaze focused on the red head. "Definitely not good at all."

Malachi sighed and turned his attention back to Naraku. He actually looked stressed.

"I don't even need to watch the rest," he said and then pointed to the screen. "That red head is Lina Inverse. The fact that she's here only creates problems for us."

"And why is that?" Naraku asked trying to remember where he had heard that name before.

The girl didn't look like trouble. She looked like a twelve year old in a costume that had strayed from her parents.

"She's one of the most powerful sorceresses in the world. She destroyed a part of Shabranigdu." Malachi's voice grew more serious, "She killed Hellmaster. She helped in the banishment of Darkstar," He finished the last bit almost in awe.

He remembered where he had heard about her now. Even though the barrier that kept the two worlds had only recently fallen, Naraku had made it his business to learn as much as he could about the world inside. And more importantly the powerful and noteworthy figures that inhabited them. Lina Inverse was a name that he had heard associated with incredible tales. These were stories of actual legend; the ones that were hard to believe were true. Tales that involved insane spells, resurrections, and holy magical artifacts long since lost in the flow of time. In fact, Naraku had dismissed many of them himself. A majority of the locals say that these tales were made up and that Lina Inverse was nothing more than a criminal. Others that he mostly ignored however would swear that they really happened. That they had seen the sky darken with Shabranigdu's return or witnessed Darkstar himself tearing through the sky.

His dark heart sped up imperceptibly. If Lina Inverse was here, everything would be much more interesting.

"Are you sure it's her?" Naraku asked, needing to be certain.

"Oh, it's her alright. Almost all Mazoku know her on sight," Malachi turned back to Naraku. "But why is she here?"

"She and her friends came after Kagura and the Necronomicon."

"Oh really? They came after the book," Malachi laughed. "Tough luck there. Of all the people Prince Phil would send I guess it figures that he would give this mission to his daughter and friends. The stupid man just couldn't let it disappear."

"Do they know what the Necronomicon is?"

"No. Lina has no idea of what the book can do."

"Will they be a problem?" Naraku questioned. As much as he had heard about Lina Inverse, he had no idea what was true and what was false.

"Possibly," Malachi replied, a light note entering his voice again. "Or perhaps we'll just have to work her into our plans. That little bird of yours is still following them, right?"

"Of course."

"We'll just have to keep a close eye on them. It'll be much easier to take on Lina when she is at her weakest," he slowly smiled. "Luckily for us, her weakness comes out once a month. She'd make a much better sacrifice than Inuyasha Perfect for balancing the innocence of the priestess."

Naraku looked at the image of the girl and fought a smile. Malachi was right. One thing that every story about the sorcerer said was that she was powerful. His plans could wait a little while longer. After all, he still needed to get the shard away from the wolf before going after Kagome. In a few months, all of his planning would come to an end. He would triumph. The newcomers were only more ants to crush on the way. With the power that his sacrifices would grant him, nothing would be able vanquish him.

The world would be his. As it should be.

* * *

Kagome felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck. She knew that someone was watching her. Again. She'd felt eyes on her all morning while she'd meditated. The vibe she'd gotten hadn't seemed malicious…simply interested. Or possibly curious. However, every time she would open her eyes and search for the culprit, everyone would be going about the same activities and sparing her little more than a glance. It had been unnerving at first, but now it was annoying the hell out of her. She'd wanted to clear her mind before they talked with Zelgadis and the others. But now Kagome was more frustrated then when she'd first sat down. And those stupid eyes were on her again. Furiously her eyes shot open for the fifth time, her infamous temper now coming out in full swing. Kagome was startled to see Amelia standing in front of her, chewing on her lip and looking like she had an internal debate going on in her mind.

"What do you want?" it came out a little more irritated than Kagome wanted. But it had been a long day, and a headache was beginning to build between her eyes and at her temples.

Amelia flinched back a little. "I'm sorry to disturb you Miss Kagome, but you see. . .oh dear how do I say this. I don't want to be insulting or anything but I just can't watch and say nothing. It would be against my oaths as a Shrine Maiden not to help a fellow priestess in need. And I know we're not friends, but we are both champions of justice and sisters in magic so we should be able to put aside our differences and work on this together."

Kagome blinked at Amelia's ramble and the sudden fiery look in her eyes. She had no idea what the poor girl was talking about. She liked Amelia well enough. The girl was friendly, and seemed to actually like the idea of traveling with Kagome and company. Then again… Champions of justice? Shrine Maidens? Fellow priestesses. . . .

"You're a priestess?" Kagome asked. It had taken awhile for her to process Amelia's stilted words.

"Yep, although technically I'm called a Shrine Maiden. I specialize in white magic."

"White magic? Like what Lina did levitating the fish or was that a different type of magic?" Kagome asked. She hated to sound stupid, but she really was interested. Finding a skilled person in magic was not only rare, but it was even harder to find one willing to share knowledge. Especially since most of the people she did find turned out to be evil and more interested in killing her then helping.

"That was Shaminism."

"Oh," Kagome said as her eyes widened as a realization came to her. "You mean like the other day when you were healing Lina."

Kagome couldn't believe that she had let the incident slip her mind. Then again, a lot had happened in the last 24 hours.

"Yep, healing is just one of the things that I can do," Amelia beamed, obviously glad to share.

"What else can you do?" Kagome was curious.

"Besides healing there's some purification spells, like casting out evil or returning the dead to their graves. Um. . . . White magic is more for defense or healing or other stuff like that. I also know Shamanism and a some black magic which are both used more for offense. But I'm not here to talk about that."

"Okay," Kagome was a little confused. This girl knew how to say lots without actually coming to any sort of a point. "If you're not here to talk, then-"

"I'm here to help!" Amelia exclaimed clapping her hands in a sudden epiphany.

"Help with what?"

"I noticed that you're not doing a very good job with meditating, and that you magic, although really very powerful, is also very wild." Amelia sat down across from her, adjusting her cape as she did so. "So, I'm here to show you how to properly center your magic."

Kagome blinked. "Won't the others be mad at you or something?"

Amelia shrugged. "Like I said we're sisters and this is for a righteous cause!" She clenched their hands together not seeming to care what her friends might say to this arrangement, "I'm surprised that you didn't get this type of training at the temple you studied at."

"Well, I didn't really study at a temple. I'm pretty much self-taught. I'm good at purifying objects and I am able to focus my power into my arrows for purifying demons. Oh, and I can sense evil and demonic presences but I haven't yet figured out yet how to heal. And I can't always control what I do."

"I'm impressed that you could learn that on your own." Amelia said as she crossed her legs. "I don't do much teaching, but I will try my best. That is…if you're interested?"

Kagome bit at the inside of her mouth. Was she interested? Could they be trusted? Inuyasha would eat her alive if he knew that she was even considering it. But she wanted to get better, wanted to get stronger. She wanted to be able to fight along side Inuyasha without him having to worry about her. More than anything she wanted to complete the jewel and defeat Naraku. If that meant trusting Amelia, then she supposed that's what she'd have to do.

"Ready when you are."

"Okay, well then first I want you to close your eyes and listen to my voice." Although Amelia's voice was a little high and squeaky, Kagome did as she was told. "Concentrate on what I am saying and try to block out all of the background noise. Pay no attention to the cute chirping birds or the pretty flowers in the grass. Oh and definitely ignore the cute little kitty that's over there sleeping under the tree. With its cute little paws, and the cute way it yawns."

Kagome closed her eyes so the sight of Amelia drooling was blocked and sighed. Sango would not appreciate Kirara being called a 'little kitty.' Kirara too wouldn't be pleased. Silently she waited for her next order.

"Pay attention to your breathing, not the kitty," Amelia said. Kagome didn't think she'd have that problem…Amelia on the other hand…

Kaede would tell her to begin like this as well… except for the kitty part. It didn't take long for Kagome to be calm and centered on herself. In a few more minutes, Amelia spoke up again.

"That was very good Miss Kagome. Now that you are paying close attention to yourself, you need to extend that focus a little. Try sensing with your magic. Because your magic is unfocused, it tends to whip in and out of your body like uncontrolled gusts of winds. My guess is that in the past you have been relying on intuition and emotion to guide your magic. Like when you purified an object the first time. Since that first time you have been trying to replicate what you did and what you felt without really understanding it. That can only get you so far before you start running into problems. It can create an unconscious block on you magic making it rely on emotion to be released. Emotions are a tricky thing when it comes with interacting with magic. Once we get you magic in a controlled flow then you can access it whether happy or sad. So, anyway let me know when you find these winds."

Kagome smiled as Amelia finshed ranting. The girl was sort-of making sense.

"I found it," she replied back to Amelia. For all the good it would do her.

"Good. Now I want you to expand the focus wider so that it encompasses me as well. Think of your focus like a nummy cupcake. When the cupcake grows, it gets bigger and expands naturally by just adding some heat. And then you add some frosting and it tastes even better. But don't get distracted by the frosting, focus on expanding the cupcake. This way, you can feel what my controlled magic is like and you'll know what we are going to do with yours."

It took a few minutes for Kagome understand why the girl was taking about cupcakes. Once she got the analogy however, it took her even longer to refocus and to figure out how to expand her field. It had always been localized on her; she never had tried to read another person. Sure, in the past she would sense whether they had power, or an evil aura, but that wasn't the same. It was strange for her to slowly let her field expand. The first thing she felt was the grass beneath her. It was an unexpected yet pleasant sensation. The grass was pulsating with energy. This pulse kept prickling at her legs and tickling just a bit. Next she felt the tree behind her; it had the same type of energy as the grass. Amelia's energy felt completely different from the grass and tree. It was almost like gentle waves rolling off and around her. Where her energy mingled with the grass, that area of the grass pulsated more.

"Wow," Kagome muttered more to her self than to anyone else.

"Now that you know what a trained magical aura feels like, a fully frosted cupcake. So lets begin training yours. We have to start with directing how your magic flows. To do this you need to turn you attention back to your own power. One of the most difficult things to do is to accept the power into yourself. That's because your body does not really know what to do with it. It has been unused and allowed free range for so long that learning to control it is difficult. The younger you are the easier it is to learn. But, don't worry because practically no time at all, you'll be ready to try some spells."

Amelia worked with Kagome for another hour until it was time to meet with the others to discuss the future of the two groups. They concentrated on directing the flows of magic into calmer rolling waves. Sometimes Amelia would make some strange comparisons, but overall she seemed to know what she was talking about. Kagome seemed to be catching on to what the strange girl was saying. And the girl really was different. The results weren't instant, but Kagome now felt that she had a place to start with her control. Amelia said that they were going to start with white magic because that was what being a priestess was all about. Especially since Kagome had already been purifying objects and sensing auras.

As they parted for the meeting, Amelia said. "Now you shouldn't be trying to sense many people like you did with me earlier. Not only are you sensing their magic but also their aura. A lot of time you won't like what you find and it can be a painful experience."

Kagome nodded in understanding and together they went to join the others around the fire. A pot of tea boiled over the pit and there were cups in front of everyone. Well almost everyone, it seemed that Inuyasha had declined. No big surprise there. Someone though was trying to make the atmosphere of the meeting as pleasant as possible.

"Jeez," Inuyasha moaned as she sat down next to him. "What took you so long?"

Kagome ignored him as she poured herself some tea.

"This is good," she said absently tasting her tea.

"So," Zelgadis said looking at Kagome and Inuyasha.

"Why the hell should we start?" Inuyasha barked.

"Maybe because you guys get to make the decision," Lina snapped back. Her eye was twitching, and a crack appeared on the side of the mug she held.

"Look," Kagome took another sip of her tea. "There are things that you need to understand about the jewel. And there are things we need to understand about you before we agree to let you use it."

"Understandable," Zelgadis replied.

"How do you plan on using the jewel to turn yourself human?"

Zelgadis took a deep breath as if deciding what to say.

"There are many simple transfiguration spells that are used to turn one thing into another. This body is part of a transfiguration science experiment in combining a human, demon and golem. Changing anything permanently large takes a lot of power. Matter likes to stay in its original state, so it takes a lot of force to rearrange and combine it with foreign substances. That is why this transformation is so difficult to accomplish. I can't simply undo the spell that did this. There is a lot that needs to be changed and fixed. Since the one who did this is dead, he can't undo it and he wouldn't even if he were alive. What ever he did, he needed a lot of power. I'm not sure exactly what the power source was the first time around. Any ideas I have are definitely not concrete. But I understand spell craft and that even the simplest spells can be tweaked and rearranged. Lina and I have discussed what needs to be done, undone and changed to revert me back to human. Now, that the jewel has been found, it has enough power to be able to make the transformation possible again.'

'Lina will perform the spell since I doubt that I will be able to cast and control it on myself. She will use a transfiguration spell that her and I modified, and the jewel to amplify her magic. I will be human and you will get your jewel back safe and sound."

"When did you have time to modify the spell?" Gourry asked, drinking his tea in long swallows.

"The month we were on the boat. Remember?" Lina snorted as he gave her a confused look.

"That sounds very dangerous," Sango replied. "If something goes wrong you could be worse off then you are now or dead."

"It's worth it," he replied.

"And besides," Lina added. "I never fail. Zel will be fine."

"But won't using the jewel like that make it worthless?" Inuyasha butted in.

"No. For example, look at that grape ape thing that attacked us. The creature was using a jewel shard as a catalyst, just in a different fashion that what we will be doing. The jewel isn't useless now. We can all still feel its power. The spell will have no affect on the jewel. And the transformation will not be specifically linked to the jewel itself. I won't have to absorb the jewel into my body. Once the spell is done, then that's it. And we can go our separate ways."

"If we allow you to use it," Kagome said. "You will do so under my guidance. If I become concerned about the jewel or feel that you are misleading us then the deal is off. At the end of the day I need the jewel whole and still containing all of its power. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Zelgadis answered after taking a few minutes to consider what Kagome said. His response was repeated by everyone else in the group. Lina was the only one besides Zelgadis who seemed to be thinking hard about her answer. Kagome would be sure to remember that. Perhaps Lina had a bigger part in this group then Kagome first thought.

Kagome held up her part of the jewel. First negotiation accomplished, time to move onto the next pressing matter.

"This is almost half of the jewel. We believe we know where the rest is, but getting it will be a problem," she said.

"How big of a problem?" Lina asked.

Kagome let out a weak laugh.

"We have been competing with someone else for the jewel-"

"Competing?" Inuyasha scoffed. "That's one way of putting it."

"Fine," Kagome glared at him. "We have been locked in battle with someone for the shards. During these past two months we haven't found any rogue shards. Normally we'd find a monster with one almost every week or two. But now that that has stopped, it's a sign that the ones left will probably be harder to obtain. The two that you have, both belonged to him, Naraku. The one we've been fighting."

"How do you know that?" Amelia asked.

"They are tainted by him. I can practically taste his stench rolling off of them. Plus there is so much evil and black magic caked in them that it can't be from someone else."

"You can tell that by just sensing them?" Zel asked.

"Yeah, I've been gathering them up for two years now. And fighting Naraku for almost as long. I've come to recognize his presence and touch by my senses only."

"That's very impressive," Amelia said tears welling up in her eye looking proud. Kagome wasn't sure why, she practically told Amelia as much earlier while meditating.

"It only works with items, and places that he's been in contact with for a long time. It doesn't work with people, or demons for that matter. Their auras' must block it."

"So, this Naraku has the other half of the jewel?" Lina questioned.

"It seems like it," Sango said. "But we can't even find were Naraku lives, and unfortunately we have to wait around for him to come after us instead of the other way around."

"That sucks," Gourry stated. He filled his mug with more tea.

"Especially since he always can find us," Miroku added.

"So," Kagome said, taking charge. "If we let you use the jewel, you will have to help us out with Naraku. Even if this partnership doesn't happen, you will eventually face him if you continue to hunt for the shards. We would be much stronger together then we would be separated.'

'And lastly," this wasn't a part of what her, Inuyasha, and the others discussed but she decided to add it in on her own accord. "I want Amelia to teach me."

Zelgadis looked at Amelia and raised an eyebrow. "Teach what?"

"White magic," Amelia answered brightly, then included without consulting Kagome, "and some shamanism."

"Those are our conditions. You can use the jewel if you promise to only use it as a catalyst, if you help us defeat Naraku and lastly if you let Amelia teach me magic."

"Sounds reasonable to me," Lina remarked.

Zelgadis frowned and it looked as if Lina could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

"She's right about this Naraku guy. Even if we ditch the deal and take their shards we'd still have to fight him. It makes more sense if we just pair up together from the start," Lina said.

Zelgadis took a few more minutes to contemplate the thought.

"We have a deal," he finally articulated.

Kagome let out a breath that she didn't even realize that she was holding.

"So, we know how you came about one of your shards," Sango asked. "But how did you get the other one?"

Lina and Zelgadis shared another look. One that definitely communicated something… even though Kagome had no idea what. Lina gave him a sharp nodded and then Zelgadis glared harder at her. She nodded again and he sighed. There was something going on power wise between the two of them. Kagome had thought Zelgadis in charge…but he was following Lina's lead.

"It's the reason that we are here," he said as he turned his attention back to Kagome. "You see we've been hired to track down a stolen book. The thief gave the book to a woman named Kara in return for a jewel shard. We tracked the woman here."

Miroku's face lit up at the mention of Kara. "Was that the woman you had mentioned when we met earlier?" he said to Amelia.

"Yes, in fact she is," she answered.

"Kagura," Inuyasha snarled. "The bitch's name is Kagura. She's one of Naraku's stupid incarnations."

"Incarnations?" Lina questioned, noticeably confused.

"Naraku can create minions from himself," Kagome answered. "I'm not really sure how it works, only that they are somehow spawned from him."

Kagome watched Lina as she seemed to turn a shade paler.

"So I take it Naraku is not human?" Gourry asked.

"No, he's a half demon," Miroku responded.

"Wait, what do you mean by half demon? I heard Inuyasha called a half demon before too," Lina inquired.

"Can't you figure it out by yourself," Inuyasha growled. He turned his head and made a disgusted noise.

"Enlighten me," Lina snapped back.

"A half demon is half human half demon. In Inuyasha's case his mother was human while his dad was a demon. While Naraku was born a human, he offered his body to demons while in the throes of death. It was the process that created the creature he is today," Sango explained.

"But Lina," Gourry's face was troubled. "Earlier you said that that wasn't possible."

"It isn't," she said seriously. She eyed Inuyasha warily.

"What the hell do you mean it's not possible!" Inuyasha yelled. "I'm sitting right here!"

"But Mazuko don't mate the way we do," Lina snapped angrily. "What the hell is going on here?"

"What's a Mazuko?" Kagome asked turning to Miroku.

"It's a very old word for demon or monster," he responded.

"Oh."

"I bet Xelloss could explain," Amelia said to Lina. The woman paled slightly again, then turned an angry eye on the black haired girl.

"No!" she shouted back. "Don't you dare say his name and jinx us. The last thing we need is for him to show up!"

"Oh, come one Lina," Amelia smiled. "He's not that bad. He just needs to accept that life is wonderful!"

"Not that bad! My ass he's not that bad. Remember Hellmaster! Or how about Valgav! He would-"

Kagome's attention was turned away from the girls' argument as Gourry shouted. He sounded more exasperated than angry. "Enough of this! I'm ready for lunch. We can continue this conversation while we eat."

The two girls stopped arguing and looked at him.

"I agree," Inuyasha huffed. "I'm starving."

"This is a special occasion, right? You know, us working together?" Lina asked no one in particular.

"Um, I guess," Kagome responded. Lina licked her lips.

"Then it's only fitting that we go into town to get a real meal," she said looking at Amelia.

"Well. . ." Amelia chewed on her lip. "You know we can't afford to eat out as much as you want to."

"I think it's a great idea," Miroku inputted. "We have to make a stop in town anyway and it's not that far away."

"Then it's settled. Let's go Gourry," Lina jumped up, followed by Gourry. They started dissembling camp at a rapid pace. The others got up slower but still excited by the concept of eating in a restaurant. Kagome thought that a nice meal seemed appropriate in celebration, even if they were still on uneasy ground. But they had to start somewhere. Kagome silently prayed that this union would be for all of their benefits. But things never seemed to work out that easy, and she knew that with so many reasons for problems, she would be lucky if this whole situation didn't blow up in her face.

Once camp was put away, they tentatively started towards town. The tense atmosphere being broken by Lina, Gourry and Amelia rambling back and forth about where they were going. Kagome scratched her head; the eyes that she had noticed earlier seemed to be staring at her again. But it wasn't Amelia, considering that she was walking in front of her. Turning around, Kagome scanned the trees in search of the invader. Seeing nothing but twittering birds she decided that she must still be paranoid from earlier.

"Kagome," Inuyasha called back to her. "Why are you just standing there?"

"I thought that someone was watching me . . . oh never mind. Lets go eat." She jogged back up to Inuyasha thinking of lunch. Inuyasha glanced in the direction that she came from.

"I don't see anyone."

"Me neither. Like I said, never mind," she said as her stomach growled.

Inuyasha snorted at her as they continued to follow the group. Neither of them noticed the crookedly smiling figure in the trees watching them leave.

"Hmmm. . .I guess that they really are jinxed."


	9. Jinxed

**A/N: **Thank you for all of those who have been waiting the two years plus for me to continue this story. I know, the wait was long and I apologize. With that said, I have a large chunk written and am starting to post again. Right now, I am aiming to have updates on the 11th and 27th of each month. Hopefully that will give me enough time write the few chapters that I still need to finish the story. As always, review and let me know what you think. I love to hear from my readers and it helps me to write faster.

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 8: Jinxed

* * *

The day was going practically perfect. Lina should have known right then that it wouldn't last. That it was about to turn to shit.

Lina had woken up, ate a small breakfast and then her and Zelgadis had gone over what they would say to the shard hunters during the 'big talk.' While conversing with Zel, she had noticed that Amelia had taken her oh-so-subtle hint about Kagome. Thank goodness, cause Lina would have torn out her hair if Amelia waited any longer to go talk to the girl. Lina could see what Kagome really wanted - and that was to learn to control her powers. It was in the simple look of wonder on Kagome's face as she had stared at the floating fish; as well as the frustration that had radiated off of her when she'd meditated. Lina's magical talents might not be that strong in the white arts, but even she could sense that Kagome had high potential.

Lina knew that Kagome pulled a lot of weight in the group, but couldn't be sure how much weight until now. It was Kagome's final word that got them the alliance. Zelgadis could use the jewel as long as they played by the rules. Sure those rules might include helping to kill some guy named Naraku, but Lina could tell that in Zel's eyes, it was a small price to pay. Especially if this Naraku guy was as bad as Kagome was making him out to be, then Zelgadis would follow through in a heart beat.

That was the point in the day where she should have realized that things were about to go down the crapper. Oh, it sounded easy on paper, track down Naraku and take his shards. Hell, after taking out Hellmaster and Darkstar, Naraku should have been a walk in the park. Lina wished she'd remembered that things never were that simple.

First there was Naraku. . .no one really seemed to know just what he was. They claimed he was a monster or half-demon, which didn't make any sense at all. Not one bit and it hurt her head even trying to think about it. Monsters were always trouble. Always. The stupid things always seemed to be plotting and planning and she knew that where there was one, there were probably more. Lina hated monsters. Even confusing half human-demon ones or whatever the hell Naraku was.

Then Amelia just had to say it. His name. Xelloss. They were screwed. Jinxed. At that moment in time Lina had felt her stomach sink in horror.

At first, she tired not to worry about it. They hadn't seen the damn Priest in over two years. He was nothing more than memory that she'd blocked. There was no reason he should show up now. Xelloss tended to only come around when they were in deep shit, and Lina was fairly certain that they were no where near that type of trouble. It was only a stupid book of Prince Phil's and a sort-of monster. It wasn't like the book was important . . . Well, Lina didn't actually know that for sure, but surely if it had been that important Phil would have said something. Although, now that she'd thought about it, he had said that his scholars were having trouble translating it. Crap. That was never a good sign. But still, Xelloss _really _should have _no _reason to show up. She tried to laugh it off. Tried to convince herself that they were just too far away for him to pop up with that stupid grin.

She was wrong.

He hadn't even waited an hour after Amelia had said his name.

"Lina, did you hear me?" Gourry asked, staring over his shoulder. "I said that Xelloss is over there drinking tea. Let's go say hi!"

Lina was not going to turn around. If she just closed her eyes there was a chance he might leave. Yes, that's right! She just had to ignore him.

Zelgadis stopped in front of her. It seemed that he had heard Gourry's proclamation as well. Even with his hood up and mouth covered, she could see his eyes graze the crowd and harden. Double crap.

The rest of the newly formed group (not even an hour had gone by yet) was about ten feet ahead of them before they noticed that they were missing members. Kagome was the first to turn around.

"Come on guys," she said. "I hate to admit it, but I'm looking forward to our celebration lunch."

"Yeah," Inuyasha whined as he turned. "I'm hungry."

Lina still hadn't turned around. From the corner of her eye, she watched as Zel placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Inuyasha noticed the movement as well. His stance completely changed from relaxed to hostile as he mirrored the chimera. He was glaring in the same direction as Zel, although it was evident that he wasn't exactly sure what the threat was.

"Oh, now Zelgadis," Lina twitched as she recognized the voice. "Is that anyway to treat an old friend?"

Lina snapped.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" she whirled around to see him standing only a few feet behind her. He grinned and waved, staff in his other hand.

"Hello Lina," he replied. "It's nice to see you too."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" her arms planted themselves on her hips as she glared at him.

"Catching up with my old friends of course," he smiled and rubbed at the back of his head.

"You have no friends," she spat.

"Now that's being mean," pouted Xelloss. Since when the hell did Mazuko pout?

"No, that's just telling the truth."

Lina quickly noticed that they had acquired the attention of the entire group. Amelia gave him a little wave. Stupid Amelia. The stupid twit never seemed to comprehend just what his presence meant. Xelloss was never a good thing. His arrival had always signaled that things were going to go to shit. He never dropped by to visit, never stopped in to catch up on old times. No, he only dropped by when he wanted something. Or wanted to use _them _to get something.

Lina stared at his seemingly innocent smile.

"You can't have it," she quietly growled.

"Have what?" The smile still plastered on his face.

"The jewel," her voice was low but Inuyasha's ears twitched. Stupid non-human dog creatures and their stupid super hearing.

Xelloss lifted an eyebrow, then shifted his attention to Kagome. He lowered his head a bit and his purple eyes cracked open. His grin shifted from innocent to maniacal in a second. It was the smile that always sent chills down Lina's spine.

"Hmmm . . . . yes, the jewel. I must say that I was surprised to learn the rumors that it had been found were true."

"As if you could ever take it." Lina inwardly groaned at Inuyasha's words. He just couldn't keep his mouth shut. It was obvious from the beginning that he was never one to hold in his temper. If the entire group didn't know what they were talking about before, they sure did now. She wondered if he'd even heard of the word tact. "I'll rip you limb from limb if you even try."

Inuyasha moved protectively in front of Kagome. The action caused Kagome to tense up immediately and take a few steps back. She watched Xelloss with a questioning cautious gaze - it was obvious that she didn't quite know what to make of the newcomer.

Xelloss let out a snort then doubled over in laughter. Clutching his sides, he cackled at Inuyasha. The priest always knew how to piss someone off immediately after meeting them. Apparently, he hadn't lost his touch.

Inuyasha's face tightened in rage. "What the fuck's so funny?!"

It was then that Lina noticed that they were gathering a crowd. No doubt interested in whether or not there would be a fight. And as much as she wanted to pound Xelloss into a pulp, she had a feeling that it would be a bad idea to try. Any fight between them would be big, and messy. It would be a fight that was best fought in a place without a crowd, or buildings.

Inuyasha was about ready to snap and Xelloss was not helping any.

Stupid monster.

Inuyasha pulled out his sword with a growl.

Xelloss laughed harder.

Kagome, who had been watching the scene with her mouth agape, was brought out of her thoughts.

"Inuyasha! Put Tetsusaiga away," she demanded. Lina could hear the slight desperation in her voice.

While Kagome was busy subduing Inuyasha, Lina took the opportunity to smack Xelloss on the head as hard as she could.

"Ow! Lina, that hurt," he rubbed his head. "Why do you always have to be so violent towards me?"

"Because you deserve it," and really, he did. "Now, I'm only going to ask this one more time. Why are you here?"

He shrugged and smiled sweetly, "That's a secret."

God she hated that line. Hated the way he smiled as he said it and tried to look all cute. Xelloss was a lot of things, but cute was not one of them. She should have expected it though.

Lina sighed and rubbed her forehead. She could feel the headache developing and ten minutes hadn't even passed yet. It was flaring right behind her eyes like hammers pounding away in a steady rhythm. Had she mentioned how much she hated Xelloss?

Lina turned her attention back to Inuyasha. He was arguing with Kagome in loud whispers while Shippo peered out her back pack. Lina hadn't been paying any attention to what they were saying, and right now, she didn't care. She could probably easily guess what they were talking about anyway. She turned to watch Miroku and Sango. They both were eyeing the Priest with intensity. Miroku had a slightly befuddled look on his face. But those two were nothing compared to Zelgadis. He seemed to be glaring daggers at the Mazuko, who appeared to be completely oblivious. The lack of attention made one of his eyebrows twitch slightly. Zelgadis was clearly as pissed off as she was.

"So, Mr. Xelloss." Awe yes, Amelia. Lina had almost forgotten that she was there. The ever cheerful Amelia was doing nothing for Lina's pounding head. "Are you going to be traveling with us?"

Lina really was afraid of the answer to that question. Really, really afraid.

"Fuck no!" Inuyasha broke away from his conversation with Kagome and surged forward. Kagome grabbed his arm, firmly holding him in place. Lina was sure that he could break out of her grasp if need be, but much to her surprise, he stayed where he was.

Xelloss smiled, completely ignoring the raging Inuyasha. "Perhaps, I just might."

She read between the lines and inwardly groaned: Yes - either I will be with you or staking you from the shadows.

"Who the fuck said that that would be okay?!" Inuyasha snarled. "Why don't you go back to whatever monastery you crawled out of?!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome stomped her foot causing Shippo to startle. "We should really get the facts first before we come to any decisions."

Inuyasha growled back but otherwise remained silent.

"I assume your name is Xelloss?" Kagome asked, turning to him.

"That's correct Priestess," he bowed slightly in acknowledgement. "And what is your name?"

"Kagome. I also assume that you guys know each other," she motioned toward Lina and Zelgadis.

"Unfortunately," Zelgadis replied. "We're old acquaintances."

Miroku lifted an eyebrow, "Of the unfriendly kind?"

It wasn't that big of a conclusion to come to considering Lina's reaction.

"That depends on Xelloss," Lina crossed her arms. "So, what's it going to be this time?"

"Now, where would be the fun in telling you that?"

Lina threw up her arms in frustration. "Oh, fuck it. Let's go eat."

Everyone turned to stare at her. That clearly wasn't the response that had been expecting.

"I mean it's not like we're ever going to get a straight answer anyway. And besides, he'll either be with us or staking us. I, for one, would rather have the bastard in my sight then not know where the hell he is," Lina explained. "And since he's already shown himself, I assume that we're going to be safer for now."

Kagome turned to Amelia.

"Is he really that dangerous?" she asked.

"Um . . . well. He seems to have a misguided outlook on life." Lina refrained from shaking her head in frustration. Sometimes, Amelia was really an idiot.

"Yes, he is," Zelgadis seemed to take the words right out of Lina's mouth. "You're right Lina. I don't like it, but you're right. It's better if he's in our sight at all times."

"Would someone please try to explain what is going on?" Sango asked. "And not to mention who exactly he is?"

"After lunch. I'm hungry and don't want to lose my appetite," Lina replied.

Lunch ended up being a quiet affair. No surprise at that. For once, Lina ate at a slow pace. Well, it was slow for her. Her mind was focused on what to say about Xelloss as she pushed her last carrot around on her plate. He sat quietly, wedged between her and Zelgadis, sipping at his tea as if he didn't have a care in the world. Why couldn't her life remain simple for just a few more years? She had been enjoying her monster free existence.

From the corner of her eye she watched the Mazuko. It wasn't as if he had never helped them out before. Because he had, but just sort of in his own messed up way. Like the time he'd fought Gaav and helped them escape… but then had let them be handed over to Hellmaster. She watched him drink his tea and resisted the urge to scream.

One thing she realized very quickly was that Xelloss did not like Inuyasha. Lina hadn't seen Xelloss this annoyed or prejudice since Fillia. It was discreet for the most part. One had to be paying attention to the monster to notice it. But Lina had learned to pay attention to him a long time ago. Every once and awhile his mask would falter. With Fillia, it seemed to have happened often. She'd do or say something and Xelloss couldn't help but snort and briefly show his disgust. She could see the attitude resurfacing - and directed solely towards Inuyasha.

Lina put down her fork and caught Kagome and Inuyasha staring at her. They both had finished eating and were watching her rather expectantly. Looking around the table she noticed that most of the others were done as well. They were waiting for an explanation, and weren't looking at Zelgadis for one. Oops, maybe she had taken the lead a little too much back there. Her anger kind of had a mind of its own.

She glanced around the restaurant. The less eavesdroppers on the conversation the better. Good thing they seemed to be pretty much alone except for the few people who sat up at the bar.

"So," Lina sighed. "Where to begin?"

"How about who the fuck this guy is?" Inuyasha seemed to have missed the point that it was a rhetorical question.

She glared at him but he was oblivious to her stare.

"Xelloss," she turned to him. "Would you like to do the honors of introducing yourself or shall I?"

"Oh, go ahead," he nodded at her. "I'm sure your introduction will be much more interesting."

Well then, best to just spit it out.

"Xelloss is a demon, or monster. How much do you know about monsters?" she asked the shard hunters.

"Oh nothing at all. It's not like there's a half demon sitting right here," the sarcasm rolled off of Inuyasha's tongue.

"And don't forget me!" Shippo exclaimed. "I'm a full demon."

Xelloss snorted.

"Something funny?" Inuyasha growled as Shippo said, "Hey!"

Apparently they both caught the insult.

"Do not compare me with _them _Lina," Xelloss completely ignored the offended two. "I am a Mazuko, _Upper kindred_. They are nothing compared to us."

"Mazuko?" Kagome inclined. "A demon right? I thought that was the same thing?"

"So did I," Lina turned to Xelloss. "What's the difference?"

"My, my, my. The legendary Lina Inverse can't figure it out for herself?" Xelloss smiled at her. It seemed that getting answers would be as pleasant as pulling teeth.

Lina turned her attention back to Inuyasha. He appeared to be barely holding back his anger. Lina surmised that the only reason he hadn't tried to tear Xelloss apart was because of Kagome. She seemed to have a little influence over his actions. For now at least. Shippo on the other hand acted like every kid she had ever met. He was supposed to be a demon? That just didn't seem right. Come to think of it, the grape ape thing from the other day didn't seem right either. It was weaker then she expected. Like it was fighting with one hand tied behind its back or something.

Inuyasha and Shippo just seemed very . . . human, for lack of a better word.

While for all of his smiles, Xelloss was far from human.

They were very different, that was for sure.

She sighed. "Unless you're going to say anything useful, then just shut up Xelloss. We don't need any of your cryptic shit right now.'  
'Anyway, Xelloss is a Mazuko. Which apparently is much different then a demon. Whatever the case, just remember that he's not a good guy."

"Then why are you allowing him to eat with us?" Sango asked.

"He has his uses," Lina replied. "And, he's helped us out, sort of, in the past. Besides, I'd rather have him in my sights at all times if I know he's here."

"Jeez, I really want to trust him now," Inuyasha muttered.

"I never said anything about trust," Lina glared. "I don't trust him and neither should you guys."

"Are you here for the jewel?" Kagome asked Xelloss.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps I'm here for something else." Xelloss casually took a sip of his tea.

"Try as much as you'd like, but I doubt you'll get any answers from him," Lina told Kagome. "If I had to guess. I'd say that he's either here for the jewel, for the book, or for Naraku. Or to manipulate me in doing something for him. Maybe all four?"

Lina had counted off on her fingers as she went through her list.

"I'd tell you Lina if you'd come work with us," Xelloss smiled. "You won't regret it."

"Never," Lina's voice was firm.

Xelloss sighed. "Too bad."

"Look, Priest. I am fucking sick of you games!" Inuyasha snapped. It looked like whatever control Kagome had on him finally collapsed. In all honestly, Lina was kind of expecting it to have happened sooner. "You are obviously here for the jewel and there is no way in hell that you're going to get it."

Inuyasha jumped out of his chair and shoved the table at Xelloss who safely slide his chair out of the way (Zelgadis did as well). Unfortunately, Lina wasn't fast enough and the table smacked her in the gut. She had to fight not to puke up everything that she had ever eaten. The ruckus of the crash drew every eye in the place.

"Does the little puppy want to play?" Xelloss smirked still sitting in his place.

"That fucking hurt!" Lina yelled as soon as she got her breathe back. She fought out of where she was stuck between the table and chair to her feet.

"What did you call me?" Inuyasha growled.

"A very little, yippy puppy."

Inuyasha snarled as his sword flared to life in his hand. Xelloss didn't flinch. He didn't even open his eyes. He just sat there and smiled.

"Keh, you won't be still smiling like that when I cut that grin off of your face."

"My, my," Xelloss sighed. "Temper, temper."

Inuyasha took a swing at Xelloss and nearly grazed Lina in the process.

However, Xelloss was no longer in the space that he used to occupy; he was now standing on the bar across the room. The bartender jumped at the sudden appearance of the man.

"Missed me," Xelloss reminded Inuyasha.

With a war cry, Inuyasha launched himself across the room; Xelloss disappeared again.

"You're going to have to do better then that my little puppy," Xelloss voice seemed to come from everywhere.

Inuyasha stood still, head slightly cocked to one side while one of his ears twitched slightly. He was obviously listening for the annoying monster. But Xelloss was already gone, leaving as abruptly as he arrived.

Of course, Inuyasha didn't seem ready to believe that and seemed sure that his opponent would be back at any minute.

The few patrons of the bar had cleared off to the sides of the restaurant, eyeing the man with the sword wearily. Lina took a glance around the room. The hotheaded dog had caused considerable amount of damage. Not that she was surprised though. Xelloss seemed to have that effect on a lot of people.

"Inuyasha," Kagome's voice was quiet but deadly. The air in the room easily dropped ten degrees after she spoke his name. Lina did not envy him at the moment.

Inuyasha's ears flattened slightly. Lina had the feeling that he also knew that he was in for the spanking of a lifetime – so to speak.

"You dumb Half-breed!" screamed the bartender, "Look at what you did to my place! You better have the money for the damage!"

Lina frowned. There was no way that she was going to be shelling out the cash for this stupid little tiff. And by the way that Inuyasha shifted, she didn't think that he had the funds to fix the restaurant either. Unfortunately, by the way that Kagome was eyeing him, it didn't look like she was going to give him a choice in the matter.

"Oh, dear," muttered Amelia, getting to her feet. "I'm sooo sorry about this sir."

Amelia approached the bar and Lina felt her lips twitch. That girl had better not be paying for what the stupid mutt did. After all, it totally wasn't their fault!

"You paying for it girlie?" he grunted.

If the group just up and left, Lina figured there wasn't much the grimy man could do about it. Lina wasn't quite sure why they hadn't done that yet.

"Just give me one minute," Amelia chimed. "And I can make this all shiny again!"

Lina didn't feel the need to watch Amelia work her magic and wandered outside. She was more concerned about where Xelloss had gone and when he'd be back. As she stepped off of the front patio, she could hear the 'oohs and awes' of the crowd. It seemed Amelia had impressed the masses with a few words and a flick of her wrist.

Of all people, it was Miroku who had followed her outside. He set his staff down next to him and sat next to her with a sigh. Leaning back, he supported his weight with his hands behind him and shut his eyes at the bright sun. Lina glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He seemed like a nice enough guy, even if he was a bit of a womanizer.

"So," Miroku began. "Does this Xelloss appear and disappear like that often?"

Lina snorted. "Yeah, so you might as well get used to it now."

"Is he that much different from Inuyasha?" he asked.

Lina nodded. "Xelloss feeds off of the negative forces of the world. It seems pretty obvious that Inuyasha and Shippo do not. The two of them act – well they act human for lack of a better word. Xelloss is many things, but he is definitely not anything like a human. And thinking of him as one will just get you killed."

"Interesting," Miroku paused. "He seemed to have taken quite an interest in you compared to the rest of the group. Called you, what was that, the Great Lina Inverse?"

Stupid Xelloss, ruining her plans of laying low.

"He says that I have a lot of potential," she lied. It really was only a partial lie though. "And that I can do great things with my power."

Miroku looked thoughtful for a second before looking back towards the door.

"There you two are," Sango's voice filled the air.

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted. "And here I thought I was going to have to save the poor girl from you lewd advances."

Lina looked over her shoulder and glared. "I am perfectly capable of saving myself."

Standing up, she dusted off her cape.

"Where to now?" Lina asked.

"To find the rest of the jewel shards," Zel said in a no-nonsense matter.

"But where would we even begin looking?" Amelia asked. "Didn't Kagome just say that this Naraku fellow has most of them?"

"Kouga," Inuyasha snarled. "It's about time that little shit-head gave us back what's rightfully ours."

"Who's Kouga?" Gourry asked.

"He's a friend who has two jewel shards," Kagome answered. The look on Inuyasha's face seemed to contradict that her statement.

"He's not going to give up the shards easily," Sango replied.

"I think I'll be able to convince him," Kagome walked down the stairs and onto the dusty road.

"There is no way that I am going to let that damn wolf weasel his way into becoming your mate in return for the jewels!" Inuyasha charged after her.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kagome stopped in her tracks. "You really are impossible, aren't you? And besides, I think I can decide who will be my boyfriend for myself. I don't need you policing guys for me!"

"But Kagome!" Inuyasha was outraged. "You have no idea what lengths that dirty mongrel will go to in order to make you his. I wouldn't put this past him!"

"You really need to have more faith in me," Kagome shook her head. "I can take care of myself."

The two of them lead the way out of town arguing the entire time. Lina smiled. At least their new company wouldn't be boring.

* * *

Naraku smiled. So, it was the wolf that they were going to go see. Aw yes, that little annoyance still had some of _his _jewel shards. This was a perfect time to see exactly what these knew opponents could do and gain a few more shards in the process.


	10. Her Wolf

**A/N: **From here on out the story gets a little dark at moments. It is rated M for a reason other then swearing, and those other reasons start to show up in this chapter. You have been warned. As always, whether you love it or hate it - review!

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 9: Her Wolf

* * *

As far as partnerships went, this one was going surprising well. In fact Kagome was so happy that she felt like dancing, but she knew that she shouldn't count her sheep yet. After all, it had only been four days. Not even a week. Naraku had yet to show his face and the jewel shards had yet to appear. Both of these things were factors that had a good chance of impacting the pleasant atmosphere. However, all things considered, Kagome could afford to be optimistic.

Her lessons with Amelia had been going remarkably well. Amelia had even said so herself. Apparently Kagome was a fast learner. It felt nice to be good at something, unlike high school. On the other hand, maybe if she actually went to school instead of spending all of her time running around the feudal era, she might be good at it. Aw well, nothing to fuss about.

The mornings lessons with Amelia always began before breakfast with meditation. Later, usually after dinner, Amelia would sit her down and the real learning would begin. So far, Kagome had been learning the fundamentals. Topics such as how to properly channel her magic and the rules that magic abided by were just a few subjects that they'd discussed. Apparently, female magic users lost power during their period. That definitely was a shock. Although, considering how dodgy her power had been, it wasn't a huge surprise that she hadn't ever noticed it before.

Last night Lina had joined in on the discussion about the differences between white and dark magic. Lina was a mystery to Kagome. While she looked (and claimed) to be about thirteen years old, Kagome didn't believe her. Kagome would guess that Lina was closer to her own age. Seventeen or eighteen would seem more believable then the thirteen that she portrayed herself as.

They had already set up camp for the night. Currently, Inuyasha was sparing with Gourry. Lina was cheering Gourry on, much to Inuyasha's ire. Kagome knew that it wouldn't be long before Lina joined in with the sword play. She had heard from Amelia that Gourry had been teaching her over the years. Lina was good, no where near as talented as either of the two guys, but definitely good.

Most of the sparring matches that had occurred over the past week had followed a particular pattern. Lina would spar with the two of them until she got sick of losing and then would begin to use her magic to help even the odds. And thus, the same argument sprouted up night after night. Gourry would insist that Lina wasn't going to get any better if she kept on cheating while Inuyasha would start yelling. Lina didn't seem to care what either of them said though, and continued do things her own way.

All of it just made Kagome shake her head; which was not a good thing considering at the moment Kagome was trying to practice her archery. She frowned; it wasn't going so well with all of the distractions going on. With a sigh of defeat, she shouldered her bow and walked over to the fire where Miroku, Sango, and Zelgadis sat.

"Where's Shippo?" she asked noticing the little fox was no where to be seen.

"Gathering flowers with Amelia," Sango grumpily replied.

Kagome frowned and raised her eyebrows at her friend's reaction.

"Don't mind her," Miroku smiled. "She's just angry that Kirara is with them."

Kagome laughed.

"It's not funny," Sango moped. "That girl treats her like she's some sort of stuffed animal."

"You're just mad that Kirara seems to like the attention," Miroku retorted.

Sango scowled at him making Kagome laugh again.

Whatever reply Sango had was cut short by Lina jogging over to join them. It seemed that she had either gotten sick of the guys, or had already begun cheating.

"Hey," she chimed as she sat on a log.

"They kicked you out already?" Zelgadis smirked.

"Same old, same old," Lina replied pouring a cup of tea. "They keep insisting that I'm cheating, but hey life's not fair. You got to do whatever you have to do to win."

"I think you're missing the point of the lessons Lina," Zelgadis remarked.

Lina shrugged and took a sip of her drink.

"Shit, that's hot!" she spurted the tea back into her cup.

"How much longer until we reach Kouga's lands?" Zelgadis asked Kagome while she cracked a small smile at Lina's actions. Even Kagome could tell that he was the taskmaster of the other group.

"A few more days," Kagome replied. "Hopefully, once we get there the word will travel fast and he'll come to meet us."

"So, Kagome," Lina began. "I've been meaning to ask, what's up with your outfit?"

Kagome looked down at her outfit. She had been so used to wearing her school girl garb that she never even thought as to how she might appear to someone else.

"Now, I've seen a lot of strange cloths over the years," Lina thought out loud and took a moment to blow on her still too hot tea. "But never anything quite like yours."

"Oh," Kagome wasn't sure exactly how she should respond. These people didn't know that she was from the future, and Kagome wasn't planning on telling them anytime soon. "Well, it's just an outfit that's traditional in my home nation."

"Really?" Lina seemed surprised. "You're not from this land either? I had just assumed that you know, you had lived here all of your life. But, it does make sense in a strange sort of way. Are you from this side of the barrier?"

"Err. . . . What barrier?" Kagome had no idea what the girl was talking about.

Luckily for Kagome, Miroku did and answered the question for her.

"Yes, she is," he said then turned to Kagome. "The barrier was a dome made out of magic that sectioned off a part of the land. Like a body of water does to an island; except that you couldn't pass through the barrier, from either side. About three years ago now, before you had came to this village, the barrier just simply vanished." Miroku paused. Kagome gave him a slight nod signaling that she understood what he was saying. He smiled at her before turning back to the red head. "Lina, why do you ask?"

Kagome had to admit, she was curious about this as well. It was certainly new information to her. She wished that this barrier had come up in a conversation years ago, when she had first met the others. That way, she wouldn't feel so out of place right now. She had been working hard to fit into the feudal era better, and this was just one more piece of information to add to an already long list of stuff she didn't know. Like which mushrooms were safe to eat in the forest or how to tell directions from looking at the stars at night. It was so frustrating at times.

"One of the affects of the barrier was that it amplified magic usage inside of it," Lina explained.

"It's theorized," Zelgadis joined in the conversation. "That in a hundred years or so, magic will equalize so there will be no difference between the areas."

"I was just curious," Lina said, "because you're rather powerful Kagome for someone who had grown up on this side. It's just weird is all."

"If that's true, does that mean you're from the other side?" Kagome asked.

"Yep," Lina smiled. "About two years ago was when we first traveled to the outer-world. It was definitely an experience."

Zelgadis snorted. "That's one way of putting it."

"Do you do a lot of traveling?" Sango asked.

Lina shrugged. "Sort of. This is only our second time outside of the barrier, though."

"How come this is the first I'm hearing of this barrier?" Kagome asked Miroku trying not to sound as offended as she was.

"It wasn't important, really," he responded with a small shrug. "We've been so busy with Naraku that we've had other things on our mind."

The conversation continued to buzz around her, but Kagome decided to not join in. She had her own thoughts on her mind at the moment. No wonder she had been so much more powerful then the other priestesses that she'd encountered. The only ones who had power as strong as her own had been linked to demons, like that evil sorceress Maki and her creepy snake things.

Kagome smiled to herself. She really had been lucky to find Amelia. It seemed like things were finally going her way.

The next day Xelloss showed up again and Kagome wasn't sure what she should make of the strange priest. Lina and Zelgadis where very adamant that he was dangerous while Amelia thought that with a little love or something, he could be turned. Quite frankly, after spending the first few hours in his company she had decided that he was creepy. Definitely creepy.

When Kagome focused hard, she was certain that Xelloss' aura reminded her of Naraku, only about twenty times worse. Even if she wasn't focusing her senses on Xelloss - he still made her feel dirty, like she needed to take a bath. When Kagome approached Amelia about his aura, it was actually Lina who had been listening in that had responded with an answer

Lina had said that Filia had felt the same way around him. Apparently she was a dragon priestess who hated Xelloss with a passion.

She had said that it was because he was a Mazuko and all Mazuko were bad news.

The red head had then made Kagome promise never to try to read his aura.

Kagome had agreed, but now she was curious. After all, how could she not be when Xelloss was such a mystery? She remembered the conversation that had happened in the restaurant when she first met the man. Xelloss had claimed to be nothing like Shippo and Inuyasha, but there was that similar grimy feel with him that Naraku had. Despite his protests, there had to be some common ground between the two. Kagome just had to figure out what it was.

The journey to Kouga's land was exasperating to say the least. Xelloss seemed to annoy practically everybody. He and Lina would go between bickering about everything to having complicated discussion covering a wide variety of topics. And while Xelloss hardly paid attention to Zelgadis, Zel was definitely paying attention to him. The only words spoken between those two where taunts and threats. While Kagome hadn't known Zelgadis for long, she was sure that he hadn't glared this much before the annoying priest showed up. But none of that compared to how he provoked Inuyasha. Kagome decide about two hours after Xelloss had arrived that she needed to keep him away from Inuyasha as much as she could. She was pulling every trick that she knew to keep the half-demon occupied.

One day later, they finally reached Kouga's territory. They arrived after dark and set up camp for the night. Kagome was sure that he would find him before the next day was over. Word always seemed to reach the wolf even if Kagome had no idea whom he heard it from. It would normally take about half a day before Koga would find her. It never seemed to matter where he was in his massive territory, he would always rush to great her.

Kagome had shuffled around in the morning with the others as they cleaned up camp. She had tried to ignore the doubts that begun to surface in the dawn light. It had still been early, too early for Kagome to think that something was wrong. But it was now well after lunch and there was still no sign of him. The small doubts in her stomach intensified and Kagome was beginning to get even more worried.

It seemed silly of her to get so worked up about it, after all he might be on the far end of his domain and thus would take a long time to find her. Yeah right….Kouga never took a long time to find her. Never. He would come running to her with marriage proposals and promises to whisk her away. Where the heck was he?

Kagome tried not to fidget over it. She tried to hide the uneasiness that gnawed at her. But it was hard and she had a feeling that she was doing a really bad job at it. The deeper they walked into Kouga's lands, the more her anxiety showed.

Inuyasha was the first to pick up on her jitters. He kept glancing at her out of the corners of his eyes. Lightly muttering to himself, probably thinking that Kagome couldn't hear, his words got louder and louder until everyone could.

"Fuck," he practically outburst. "Where is that damned mutt?"

Kagome weakly smiled back at him. "I'm sure that he'll be around soon."

Unfortunately, not even she believed her words.

They continued to walk on. Step by step her stomach sank. Each passing moment her fear intensified. It was bubbling up inside of her until she was so nervous that she felt like she was going to explode.

They walked for about an hour longer before Inuyasha abruptly stopped. He had stopped so suddenly that she almost walked into him. The sound of her heart beating thundered now that her feet were no longer moving. Kagome's breath caught in her throat.

"What is it?" she asked with a dry mouth.

"I smell blood," he replied, his voice low and almost menacing.

Zelgadis stopped walking and turned back.

"Blood?" he questioned, his hand slightly twitching towards his sword.

"A lot of it," Inuyasha stated, his ears alert and body tense. There was no doubt in his voice. Inuyasha pointed to the northwest. "That way."

Kagome squinted her eyes towards the direction he was pointing only to see nothing. Her face tightened and the knot in her stomach clenched. Kagome forced herself to take deep breaths.

"Let's go," she said and jumped onto Inuyasha's back without warning. He caught her easily, responding to her actions almost instantaneously. Kagome was dreading what they would find but needed to know. She silently prayed that Kouga would be alright. But she knew in her heart that this was bad.

Very bad.

"What's going on?" Sango asked.

"Something's wrong," Kagome said before Inuyasha took off. "Kouga's in trouble."

Kagome didn't turn around to see if the others where following. She knew that Sango and Miroku would be behind her on Kirara. As for the others, well Kagome hoped that they'd figure out that they needed to follow soon enough.

She clung to Inuyasha's back as he raced ahead, trying to peer around his shoulder. Trees flew around them from all sides, but they passed through them with ease. Kagome wasn't worried, she knew that they wouldn't hit any. Branches were the only thing that scrapped her as they traveled through. Kagome spared a moment to look up. Above her flew Kirara, and much to her surprise, her new friends. Huh, she didn't know they could . . . fly . . . except for Gourry who appeared to be clinging to Lina for dear life. Then again, if Lina could make fish float then why couldn't she cast the same spell on herself?

Kagome turned forward, she was going to have to ask them about that later – there were more important things to focus on right now.

Kouga.

Over the years, Kagome had grown fond of her wolf. He was one of her friends in the feudal era that she knew she could trust. Someone she could count on being there if she needed him.

She needed him to be okay.

Kagome could barely make out a clearing ahead through the trees. Instinctively she knew that that was where they would come to a stop. Whatever blood that Inuyasha smelled would be found just across the tree line.

If Kouga was anywhere, this was where they would find him.

Inuyasha must have had the same thought too, because he skidded to a halt as soon as they left the forest. Kagome took a deep breath as she viewed the scene before her.

Grass that normally stood tall had been trampled over. There were a few patches that still stood erect, swaying in the slight breeze. Kagome climbed off of Inuyasha's back and slowly walked forward, her steps erratic and uneven over the battle-torn ground. There was a long shinging sound behind her that she dimly recognized as Inuyasha drawing his sword.

The first thing she noticed was the smell. Thick and coppery, it seemed to cling to the air. Kagome walked toward the figures she could see between the still standing pieces of grass. Inuyasha's steps could be heard behind her. Kagome pulled out her bow, feeling that she should have a weapon ready even though using it was the last thing on her mind. As they neared, she realized that the bodies were wearing the gray fur that she had come to identify with Kouga's tribe.

"Oh God," Kagome whispered bringing a hand up to her mouth.

She didn't recognize the first figure that they had stumbled upon other then it was a male. The sight alone was enough to make her throw up whatever she had eaten earlier in the day. Unfortunately, now that her stomach was empty she didn't feel any better. Her eyes uncontrollably went back to figure before her. Something had hit him, hard. The only thing that was left of his face was mashed flesh and bone. There were gashes along all along his body.

Swallowing, Kagome looked away to the others who were surveying the scene as well. She didn't think she could look at the body any longer. Her stomach had started churning again and she fought with all of her strength to not give in to the panic that was setting into her body. She concentrated on the others, hoping that it would help her enough to focus on something other then the smell.

Amelia had a grim expression on her face as she moved from body to body. She paused briefly before each, then continued on. Once she even bent down and laid a hand on one of the fallen figures chest before sighing and moving on to the next. Kagome dimly realized that Amelia was looking for survivors. Gourry walked by her side with his sword drawn. Sango and Miroku where following Amelia's lead and were looking for survivors as well.

Her gaze moved past them and onto Lina and Zelgadis who were talking further into the battlefield.

"Fuck!" Inuyasha yelled causing her to turn his direction. He was about a hundred feet away and crouching over a fallen figure.

Kagome didn't even register that her feet were in motion. It had all happened so fast. She was running and shouldering her bow once again. It seemed as though in a blink of an eye she was there, unsure of how it had happened.

She tried to open her mouth and speak, but words didn't want to come out. Her eyes remained firmly on Inuyasha's back, afraid to look at what he was hovering over. It was perhaps one of the most difficult things she had ever done, but she finally let her eyes fall to the ground.

On the flattened grass in front of him was a figure. Both legs below the knee had been ripped away. Blood saturated the ground, staining the normally tan-green grass a gruesome shade of dark red and brown. There was a large gash along his side. Ribs were visible through the missing chunks of flesh. Kagome swallowed loudly and forced herself to look at the face.

She had known who it was the moment she saw what had been done to his legs.

Kouga.

It was Kouga.

Kagome took a deep breath and almost choked on the smell. She brought a shaky hand up to her mouth and nose to slightly cover her senses. Falling onto her knees, she stifled a cry. The ground was still sticky and wet. Blood soaked into her skirt and covered her bare legs. She almost slipped and had to steady herself with her hand. By the shear amount of blood that framed his body Kagome knew for certain that he was dead.

There was nothing that could be done.

Kagome wanted to be strong but couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes.

Kouga. Her Kouga.

Her wolf was dead and it was all her fault.

There was only one reason why someone would take his legs like that…the jewel shards.

They were too late.

"Damn wolf," Inuyasha muttered from behind her but she hardly paid him any notice.

Kagome brushed back some of Kouga's dark hair. Her hands were covered in blood and it streaked across his pale forehead. With her other hand she tried to wipe away some of the tears that were falling. She could feel where his blood had gotten onto her hands, and now onto her face.

Leaning forward, she placed her head against Kouga's own.

"I….I…." words didn't want to form. "…..Kouga…..please……I….I'm sorry." Kagome placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. She let her lips linger a few moments before pulling away.

She wiped her hands against her green skirt as she struggled to get onto her feet. The blood soaked into the fabric but she hardly paid notice. It already covered her shoes and legs so what was a little more going to do to her?

Giving Inuyasha a grim smile, she wiped the tears from her face.

Kagome was strong.

She could handle this.

Together, they walked back to where Sango and Miroku were standing.

"Kouga's dead," Kagome uttered, her voice sounding very unlike her own. Neither Miroku nor Sango seemed surprised by this information. "His jewel shards are gone."

"Kagome," Sango said heavily. "I'm so sorry."

Kagome sniffled.

"Naraku," Inuyasha growled. "I'm sure of it."

Kagome nodded, it had to be that monster. There was no way that Kouga and his tribe would lose to anyone else. He was strong. He was a fighter.

And now he was gone.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed. "This battle is fresh too! If we could have only gotten here an hour earlier!"

"It's a little coincidental, don't you think?" said Miroku. "I mean Kouga's had the jewel shards for years and Naraku come after them now?"

"You think that Naraku knew that this is where we were headed?" Sango asked.

"That's exactly what I think," Miroku replied.

"But how?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha glared at the newcomers to the group. "Stop that Inuyasha. They've been with us the entire time. We would have noticed one of them sneaking away to talk to Naraku, wouldn't we?"

The four of them gave each other an uneasy glance.

Kagome turned her attention back to where Lina and Zelgadis stood. They were still talking about something – but they were not being secretive about it. Amelia and Gourry were still walking among the bodies. It looked like they haven't found any survivors yet.

It was then that Kagome noticed one person missing.

"Where's Xelloss?" she asked to no one in particular.

"That's strange," Miroku replied. "He was here this morning; up to the point that Inuyasha said he had smelled blood anyway."

"I knew there was a reason I didn't like that guy," Inuyasha grumbled.

"But do you really think that he could be working for Naraku?" Sango asked.

"Who knows?" Miroku said. "We certainly don't know much about the guy. All they've seemed to have told us was that he's a Mazuko of some kind."

"Kagome," Lina said, catching her attention. The red head was coming towards them followed by Zelgadis. "There is a lot of dark magic residue in the area."

Kagome pressed her lips together.

"Whoever did this might still be in the area," Zelgadis said. "And I can't help but think that this is a trap."

"No shit," Inuyasha replied. "Where the fuck's your fucking Priest friend?"

"What?" Lina said looking around as if she just realized that he was missing. "He tends to have a habit of disappearing when there's trouble."

"A smart man then," a voice came from behind them, back in the trees that they had just left.

Kagome swung around to see three figures standing at the edge of the clearing.

The first man had long dark hair that hung over an eye. There was something that hung around his back. He wore no weapons.

The second man appeared to be more of a threat. A sword was hanging from his belt loop and he wore a smile that reminded her of Naraku. His startling blue hair seemed to defy gravity as it stood up in all directions.

And next to him stood a very familiar face, Kagura.

Kagome clenched her fists.

"Hey bitch," Inuyasha snarled. "I see that you've found some new friends."

Kagura smiled back.

"I think we have something you're looking for," she replied.

The man with the blue hair threw something towards Kagome. Two somethings actually, both looked like fire wood.

They landed twenty feet away, close enough for Kagome to realize in shock what they were.

Kouga's legs.

She couldn't stop the gasp of horror that came out of her mouth. Nor could she stop the uncontrollable shaking of her hands. She fought the urge to fall to her knees and cry. Oh god this can't be happening.

The blue haired man laughed at her and Inuyasha growled back.

Kagome was dimly aware that Gourry and Amelia had returned to the group. She knew that she needed to be focusing on the dangers ahead of her. Kagome knew that she needed to look away from the grim sight of Kouga's legs, but she couldn't move. A soft voice in her head kept whispering that it was her fault. That she could have stopped it and Kouga would be alive and well if it wasn't for her.

A hand wrapped around her wrist and she jumped. Kagome looked over to see Amelia standing next to her. She silently thanked Amelia for bringing her out of her mind. Kagome turned her head back to the three people standing just at the edge of the woods.

They did this. They were the ones that took her wolf away from her. Anger boiled in her veins. Kagome was never one to feel hate towards others, but right now - it consumed her.

"Hey!" Gourry pointed. "I know you! You're the one who stole the book from Prince Phil!"

"Yes I am," Kagura shook her head. Her voice sounded almost bored. "You should have given up on getting the book back a long time ago. But no, instead you've gotten yourselves involved in dangerous matters. Matters that you will not be walking away from alive."

Inuyasha snorted. "You do realize that there are eight of us, right? And only three of you – I think that you might be the ones in trouble here."

Kagome looked back at where Lina and Zelgadis were standing. Lina had a hard look on her face making her normal youthful appearance age years.

"So Kagura," Lina began. "Who are your friends?"

In the seconds that it took Kagome to turn back to Kagura, the man with the blue hair was already gone. Air rushed behind her and she whirled around again. The blue haired man was standing right in front of Lina. Both Gourry and Zelgadis had drawn their swords, but they seemed unable to move. Inuyasha had drawn Tetsusaiga as well, and in an instant he was by Kagome's side. The blue haired man bent down until he was level with Lina's face, which was a good foot at least considering how short the girl was.

If Lina was surprised, she didn't show it. She didn't even flinch as he stared her down.

"Lina Inverse," the blue haired man cooed. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," she sarcastically replied.

"Oh don't act like that," he standing back to his full height. "There are many of us out there who are just itching to make your acquaintance."

The man smiled, revealing a set of pointed teeth.

"Who are you?" Kagome asked fighting to control her voice during those three words.

The man turned to her as if surprised that she dared to speak.

"Kagome isn't it?" he questioned but didn't wait for a reply. "I don't see what's so special about you. And that must be the hanyo I've heard so much about, Inuyasha. You should put that sword away half-breed, before you hurt yourself."

Inuyasha lunged at the blue haired man only to have him disappear. Instead he crashed into Zelgadis and both of them fell hard to the ground. The blue haired man reappeared where Inuyasha was originally standing. Kagome stumbled back, running into Amelia but both remained upright.

"Succhii," the man with dark hair said. Apparently Succhii was the man with blue hair. "You can play with them later. We have delivered our message and we should be getting back now."

"What message?" Lina asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, how silly of me," he replied. "It was so short and simple that I forgot I hadn't said anything yet. Hmmmm . . . . What was it again? . . . Dismembering the wolf tribe is nothing compared to what we have in store for you. Enjoy the legs – perhaps it will give you a leg up, so to speak, when fighting against us."

"_That's not funny!"_ yelled Kagome not caring who heard her.

"Oh come on," Succhii whined. "I don't want to go yet."

The dark haired man gave Succhii a thin lipped smile.

"Ten minutes," he replied before disappearing.

Kagura stood still, a bit confused for a moment before summoning her feather and leaping on board.

That was when all hell broke loose.

"After her!" yelled Zelgadis taking into the air only to have Succhii appear right before him. Inches away, Succhii shot a black beam into his chest. Zelgadis was too close to dodge the blast and there was no time to raise a strong enough shield. It hit him before he even had time to react. Zelgadis collided with the ground with enough force to send a large pile of dirt into the air.

From the corner of her eye, Kagome saw a bright red beam shooting out of Lina's hands. It was aimed for Succhii but he was gone before the beam even connected. It flew harmless off into the clouds.

Kagome whipped her head around, desperately searching for where the monster had gone. He appeared to her right on the other side of Lina.

"Take Amelia and go after Kagura!" Lina shouted at Kagome before turning to Succhii. "We can handle him."

"Use Kirara!" Sango said throwing her boomerang in an attempt to dislodge Succhii from the sky.

Kagome did as she was told and leapt onto the cat demon's back. She had barely landed when she felt someone leap aboard behind her.

"Let's go!" shouted Amelia. Kirara followed the command and took to the air. Kagura had fled to the West.

"I don't think so!" Kagome heard Lina's voice shouted from behind. There was an immense burst of wind as a black light flew off to her right. Kagome took a deep breath as she realized that they were almost hit and urged Kirara to go faster.

"You're fighting us!" Inuyasha roared. Something else was shouted but they were no longer close enough to hear. The only noises that could be heard now where explosions. Kagome silently hoped that the explosions where hitting Succhii and not her friends.

She didn't dare look back; instead she kept her eyes ahead searching for Kagura.

"There!" shouted Amelia pointing around her waist. To the left, about two hundred feet in front of them flew the evil wind witch.

"Faster Kirara," urged Kagome.

Kagome felt hands on her shoulder and looked up to see Amelia steadying herself. She was standing and looked back down at Kagome.

"Don't let me fall," Amelia said.

Kagome wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to do that. She reached behind and wrapped her arms around Amelia's legs. Pulling Amelia close to her, she clenched her legs into Kirara has tight as she could. Kagome looked up to see that Amelia had brought her hands in towards her center.

"Rah Tilt!" she screamed.

Kagome's mouth went wide as a beam of white light flew over her head towards Kagura. Unfortunately, it didn't it hit her. Instead, Kagura dove down a minute sooner and the spell nipped only her hair. However, it did pass her with such force that she went soaring to the ground. Kirara dove after her and Kagome was forced to let go of Amelia to hold on.

Amelia wasn't so lucky and couldn't stay on their ride.

"Amelia!" Kagome screamed as the girl flew off of the cat demon's back.

"Levitation!" Amelia shouted and her fall turned into a controlled descent.

Below, Kagome could see that Kagura had already landed. It was a crash landing, to be exact. Kagome hoped that the sorceress broke something when she hit the hard ground.

Kagome drew her bow and knocked an arrow as Kirara touched down. She aimed at Kagura causing the woman to stop in her tracks. Amelia landed onto the ground next to her.

The hate that was coursing through her system returned in an instant. Kagura was not going to escape.

Kagome was not going to let her get away for what she had done to Kouga.

"You're not going anywhere!" cried Kagome.

She let off an arrow to prove her point. It whizzed by Kagura's face.

"It looks like someone finally learned how to shot," the witch commented.

"Looks like it," Kagome replied barely recognizing her own voice. It was colder and harder then it had ever been before.

"You're coming with us," Amelia demanded.

"To where?" Kagura questioned. "Back there? To your friends? You should know that they're all dead by now."

Kagome was not going to listen to anything that this woman had to say.

She had killed Kouga.

Kagome let another arrow loose, this time it lodged its self in Kagura's chest.

Kagura let out a cry and doubled over. She pulled out her fan and sent a blast of wind at them.

Dodging out of the way, Kagome landed hard on the ground to the right. Amelia had raised some sort of shield that the blast bounced off of. Kagome shot a third arrow from her position on the ground as Kagura sent another blast of wind her way.

But this arrow did not make it to its intended target, and neither did the wind.

Instead, a man appeared in between the two, batting away the wind and catching the arrow with his hand.

"Kagura," the dark haired man stood before them. "We need Kagome alive."

"Forgive me Malachi," Kagura muttered. "But as you can see, I've been shot."

Malachi turned around to face Kagura. He walked up to her and pulled the arrow out of her chest. Kagura let out a grunt of pain as flesh came with it.

"You'll heal," he said then turned towards Kagome.

"Until next time," Malachi smiled and reached a hand around Kagura's waist. Together they disappeared into thin air.

Kagome stayed on the ground for a few more moments in silence.

Kagura got away. Kagome let her get away.

Damn it!

She looked towards Amelia to see that she had already mounted back on Kirara. Kagome took the hint and stood up; she was not going to allow her mind to be distracted by that bitch when there was still work to do. Quickly, she climbed back onto the demon cat. She wrapped her arms around Amelia. If Kagome fell off, she didn't think her landing would be quite as graceful as the other girl's had been.

"We need to hurry back," Amelia said to both Kagome and Kirara.

Kirara leapt into the air.

"Amelia, what is going on? " Kagome said, her mind still trying to comprehend everything that had happened in the past hour. "Who was that?"

"That was a Mazuko," Amelia replied. "And I would bet anything that the man with blue hair is one as well."

"But he is nothing like Naraku or any other demon I have ever met," Kagome said. "Not even Naraku can disappear into thin air."

"I don't understand why they are different as well Ms. Kagome," Amelia answered. "But Mazuko are powerful and dangerous. And if the blue haired man that the others are fighting is one, then we need to get back to help as soon as we can."

Kagome frowned into Amelia's back. She didn't understand what was going on but she was damned well going to find out.

Kagome only hoped that the others were okay.


	11. Practical Mazoku 101

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Well, I've been trying to update two chapter a month but I've run into a snag. The chapters that I am still writing are not being written fast enough. So, it looks like I'm going to aim for one chapter a month so I can concentrate on getting the fic finished in a timely manner. In the meantime, if you're looking for something else enjoyable to read try one of my other fics (I know, shameless plug).

With that said....enjoy! And always, review are awesome!

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 10: Practical Mazuko 101

* * *

"I don't think so!" Lina yelled at Succhii.

Black energy chased after Amelia and Kagome, cutting through the air and destroying an unfortunate bird that got into its path. Lina fired a fireball towards the black light hoping that the simple spell was all that was needed to knock the dark energy off course. There was no way that Lina would let the Mazuko get either of the girls. They had their own mission to complete. Lina had a feeling that that bitch Kagura was their best bet at getting at Naraku and there was no way that Lina would let her escape that easy.

Her fireball intercepted the energy and it whizzed by the girls with only a few feet to spare.

"You're fighting us!" Inuyasha roared from beside her. His sword was out and he stood in an open stance. He brought Tetsusaiga up in front of him. "You're not going anywhere!"

Lina took a moment to glance at Zelgadis. Miroku was by his side, obviously checking on his health. He was trying to take Zel's pulse but not having an easy time of it. Instead he settled with placing his ear next to Zelgadis' mouth, listening for indications of life. Shippo hovered over Miroku's shoulder, frantically glancing between Succhii and Inuyasha. She only hoped that the little fox had some sense to stay out of the way.

"How is he?" Lina basically shouted at them. From where she stood, she couldn't see the damage to Zelgadis, but she knew from personal experience that Zel was hard as a rock. The guy could practically bounce back up from anything. She tried to keep the worried look off of her face; minutes had passed and he hadn't gotten up yet.

It was a bad sign.

"Alive," Miroku replied.

That was all that Lina needed to hear. If Zel was breathing, then he should be just fine – at least for now. She only hoped that Miroku would stay out of the way and with her fallen friend. This fight was about to get messy, very messy very fast.

Gourry stood on the other side of her with his sword out. Lina wasn't going to lie; she really wished that they still had the Sword of Light. Damn them for being so altruistic. One quick look at his face and Lina could see the same thoughts echoing in his eyes. Oh, he hid his doubts well, but Lina could see them there nonetheless.

Since Gourry had lost the Sword of Light they hadn't faced off with any Mazuko. The past year had been a nice break from the constant monster fighting that Lina was used too. In fact, they hadn't had a need for the sword until now. Fuck, Lina wasn't sure what Gourry was going to do without it. But Gourry was never the type of guy to let doubt stand in his way. Whether it was because of his courage or stupidity, Lina couldn't be sure.

Movement from behind caused her attention to shift.

Sango was slowly approaching; her boomerang was out and ready. Unfortunately, that weapon wasn't going to do much good against Succhii. Unless the girl had other tricks up her sleeve, she was going to be in trouble. Sango looked determined though, which may become a problem.

That really wasn't what Lina needed right now.

"Sango," Inuyasha said as he stared at Succhii, "stay with Miroku and Zelgadis. They're going to need you."

Inuyasha glanced at Sango and Lina could see that he was thinking the same thoughts about the girl that she was. And for that, she was grateful. Lina really didn't want to be the bitch who told others that they were playing a game for grown ups.

Sango frowned but changed her direction towards the sidelines. She stood protectively in front of where Miroku was crouched over Zel; ready to fight if Succhii decided to attack. That was another person that Lina wouldn't have to worry about. Now, she only hoped she wouldn't hit Inuyasha accidentally in the cross fire. At least Gourry knew how to avoid her spells.

Inuyasha had better be as good as he said he was. From the little sparing that she had done with him earlier in the week, she definitely saw potential. It looked like she'd finally get to see him fight full out.

Lina turned her eyes back to the Mazuko. Besides her, Inuyasha was glaring daggers at the man, but he didn't seem to notice. Succhii wasn't paying any attention to anyone except for Lina.

He smiled lazily as he caught her eye.

She read the challenge loud and clear.

_Beat me if you can Lina_ was written all over that cocky face of his.

Lina resisted the urge to charge him right then. If she had learned one thing over the years, it was to best have some sort of plan when fighting Mazuko. That and to never trust Gourry to hold onto any food that wasn't specifically for him - it was simply foolish.

Inuyasha though, apparently hadn't learned that lesson yet (the first one, not the second which Lina was quite sure that he had learned two nights ago).

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha called as he swept his sword in an arc. A piercing gust of wind shot towards the Mazuko. The blast barely distracted Succhii's attention off of Lina. He only took a second to look at the half-demon, it was as if Inuyasha were nothing more than a fly on the wall.

The wind swept past both sides of Succhii, leaving him standing tall in the middle. It hadn't even scratch him.

"We're going to have to attack together!" Lina yelled at Inuyasha.

"I don't need any help to kill this fucker!" he bellowed back.

Lina frowned. Damn it! She didn't understand how men – _no matter what species they were _– always seemed to think that they could do everything on their own?

"Stop being a dumb ass and listen to me!" She had only taken her eyes off of Succhii for a second but in that moment he disappeared.

Fuck was the only thought running through her head as she looked for her opponent.

"Where the hell did he go?!" Inuyasha echoed her thoughts.

"The astral plane!" Lina answered as she searched for any signs of his return. "Look out!"

Succhii appeared behind Inuyasha. Before the words had even left her mouth, he fired another black ball of energy. Inuyasha leapt out of the way but not fast enough. The blast clipped his left shoulder. He flew towards the tree line, crashing into a large oak tree and completely uprooting it. The hit didn't keep him down though and after a quick spit up, Inuyasha was back on his feet. Lina had the feeling that if he had been hit in the chest like Zel had been, he wouldn't be getting back up.

Succhii turned to her and fired another ball of black energy. Lina felt arms envelope her as she collided with another body and then the ground. The blast past over her head, right where her stomach would have been.

A mass of blue and blond rolled off of her and back to his feet. Lina followed Gourry's suit and jumped to her feet as well. He ran off to the right, his sword prepared to strike. Lina ran the opposite direction, forcing Succhii to chose between the two of them. Granted, he would be going after her, but there was no need for them to make it easy for him.

Succhii fired a second blast at Lina.

As she dodged, she begun her chanting – focusing her energy into a spell.

"Darkness from twilight, crimson from blood that flows; buried in the flow of time; in thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness. Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess!" Lina held back the final words of the spell, waiting for the right moment to fire. She gathered her energy, wanting the spell to have a bit more punch then normal. To get the maximum effect of the spell, she would have to be close and the blast would have to be fired unexpectedly at Succhii.

Lina could see Gourry coming up from behind the Mazuko. It seemed that Succhii had been too busy trying to hit her to have noticed him yet.

Gourry brought his sword down in a swift arch. It never hit the Mazuko, halting in mid air over his shoulder. Gourry still looked determined though as he pulled away and jumped back. He lunged forward again. Succhii waved his left hand lazily and sent the blond hurtling towards Miroku. Sango had to jump out of the way in order to avoid being mauled over.

Lina sprinted closer, wanting less distance between them when she fired. She wished that she knew that instant teleportation thing that Mazuko did so effortlessly. Sure would make things a hell of a lot easier.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that Inuyasha had gathered his strength from his last fall. He was also sprinting closer to Succhii's location. Unfortunately, the stupid mutt didn't seem to be quite so aware of her position.

Inuyasha fired another one of the wind bursts at Succhii. Lina skidded to a halt and dove out of the way; no doubt Inuyasha's wind scar adding to her momentum. The ground came at her hard and fast, knocking the wind out of her as she hit. On impact, the energy that she had gathered nearly dispersed. That would have been bad. Instead of bits of dirt and rock raining down it would have been pieces of her

She didn't see whether Succhii had been hit but she was pretty damn sure that either way he was fine. It was far more likely that he had just teleported out of the way again. Lina slowly got back to her feet and let her mind refocus. This time, she would be ready when he reappeared.

Lina didn't see him, but she felt the air shift to her left. Spinning on her feet, she practically came face to face with him. He was smirking, no doubt thinking that Lina hadn't had time to prepare a spell.

Boy was he wrong.

"Dragon Slave!" she yelled aiming towards the Mazuko. Lina tried to focus the spell into more of a concentrated beam rather then a giant explosion. Good thing that, unlike Inuyasha, Lina actually had paid attention to her surroundings and knew that all of the others were currently at her back. Even with the Dragon Slave being focused at the Mazuko, it would still take out anyone who was too close.

Lina watched Succhii's eyes widen in the mere milliseconds it took for the spell to spring from her hands. The darkness enveloped him and roared through the field, disintegrating everything in its path. The bodies that had littered the grass moments before turned into ash. In the dark wake of the spell, Lina hadn't been able to see if Succhii had had the time to phase out.

Chunks of earth poured down from the sky. She wouldn't be surprised if a rock hit her on the head and knocked her unconscious. What had started out as a sunny day was now almost shrouded in darkness. Lina brought a hand over her mouth in attempt to block out the dust that was probably clogging her lungs. It would do her no good to survive the battle but die because she couldn't breath from all of the shit floating around in the air.

"Lina!" yelled Gourry's voice from somewhere in the cloud of dirt. "Where are you?"

"Gourry!" Lina shouted back. "Stay there!"

She couldn't see anything through the debris that the spell had kicked up. If Gourry stayed where he was, that was at least one person she didn't have to worry about hitting accidentally. After all, there was no sign that she had actually taken out Succhii yet.

There was noise to her left and she turned towards the sound, a spell ready at her lips.

"Did you get him?" Inuyasha asked as he stepped through the dust cloud about ten feet away. He was covered in as much dirt as she probably was. Lina scowled at him for breaking her concentration.

She opened her mouth to answer back but changed her words mid-sentence as a beam came out of the smoke to her right.

Lina cast the first shield that she could think of. Unfortunately, it wasn't strong enough and only absorbed part of the spell.

Lina was flung back. She skidded and tumbled through the grass, the corpse of one of the wolves finally stopping her. Springing to her feet she looked to where Succhii could have gone. But there was still way too much crap in the air for Lina to get a good sense of where anything was. There was a flash of movement to her left. She turned and fired a Fireball, but he was already gone.

Lina stumbled back as Succhii appeared in front of her. He hit her with a fist to the stomach and the breath left her body for a second time in the span of ten minutes.

Lina collapsed to the ground and struggled to keep from puking up whatever breakfast she had eaten this morning. She could hear him laughing above and the sound pissed her off.

Taking a page out of Amelia's book, she charged her right fist with energy. She got off her knees and into a crouch, moaning loudly and pretending to be in more pain than she really was. Using the momentum of her legs she sprang up and hit back. He was only stunned for a second but it gave her the opportunity that she needed. Lina fired a spell from her left hand.

Electricity danced across his skin and through his hair. But he didn't scream in pain, no, instead he only increased his laughter. Lina knew that the spell wouldn't do any really damage, but it had distracted him from her next move.

"Source of all power, crimson fire burning bright," she whispered underneath his laughter. "Gather together in my hand and become an inferno... BURST FLARE!"

Succhii was still cackling over her when she finished the spell. His eyes widened as Lina's hand shot up into his chest and she fired. Blue flames engulfed the Mazuko. Lina concentrated the spell on him, but it was still way to close to her for comfort. She jumped back as fast as she could to escape the flames.

Shamanism wasn't her specialty. She really wished that Zel was conscious to lend a hand. Inuyasha appeared by her side and watched in fascination while the flames burned. Lina only hoped that they had some affect before he escaped to the astral plane.

"That hurt," Succhii's voice filled the air. The flames had disappeared and he was no where in sight. "But honestly Lina, if you are going to fight me, don't you think that it's about time for you to get serious about this? Or have all of the tales I heard about you been greatly exaggerated? Are you no more then some hack taking credit for other's accomplishments? After all, there were hardly any creditable eye witnesses to the confrontation with Darkstar, maybe it was Xelloss who did all the work?"

Lina frowned and tried to figure out where the hell the voice was coming from. She wasn't going to give him the pleasure of a response. What the fuck did he know about her anyway?

"So now what?" Inuyasha yelled back at the voice. "Are you going to just talk us to death?"

"And you half-breed," Succhii replied with a slight sneer in his voice. It sounded like he was all around her and Inuyasha, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. "Are not even worth my time. Hardly an opponent worthy of a Mazuko."

To emphasize his point, Succhii chose that moment to fire on Inuyasha. It was a direct hit. Lina could feel the force of the blast as it flew by her. It knocked her to the ground while Inuyasha was hurled away.

Lina gently touched her cheek, it was wet. Half fearing that she had been hit by the spell; she checked herself quickly for wounds. All clear - which meant that it was Inuyasha's blood that was splattered on her face.

"Lord of the Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess," Lina chanted, activating the amplifying blood talismans that wrapped around her wrists. Succhii was right about one thing. If she wanted to beat him, she would have to quit playing around.

She spared a quick glance as to where Inuyasha had landed. The debris in the air had finally settled down to the point where she could see again. Inuyasha had yet to get back up, not that she was surprised. A pool of blood had began to gather around his still form. He might be a pain in the ass but Lina still hoped that he was all right.

Now that Inuyasha had been located, where the hell was Succhii? Stupid fucking astral plain. She couldn't do anything until he showed himself. After all, she needed something to aim at.

Energy crackled behind her.

That's where he was. She whirled around in time to see him materialize.

"Blast bomb!" she yelled aiming for him. Balls of light formed around her and converged onto his possible location.

Almost an instant after those words left her mouth, Amelia's voice rang through the air. "Rah tilt!"

Lina had never been so relieved to hear her. The spells hit Succhii and he screamed in pain. He mustn't have escaped to the astral plane quickly enough.

Lina spared a minute to look up. Not too far away, she could see Amelia and Kagome being carried towards her on the giant cat thing. Amelia leaped down, landing next to where Lina stood. The cat landed near Inuyasha and Kagome rushed to his side.

"Now that it's finally getting interesting, my time here is up," Succhii replied, his voice low and menacing. He had clearly retreated to the astral plane once he'd been able to. It sounded like he was hurt though, even if Lina couldn't see him. Just like a fucking monster to run away the minute it looked like he might lose. "We're going to have to finish our little fight later."

Lina remained still and silent, alert for any signs that Succhii was still in the area despite his comments. In a matter of a few minutes, the atmosphere had already started to feel lighter. The negative energy associated with Mazuko dissipating as he left.

Lina let out a sigh that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"How's Inuyasha?" Lina asked Kagome once she was sure that Succhii was no longer in the area. When Kagome didn't answer Lina turned to see what the girl was doing.

Kagome held her hands open over Inuyasha's wounds. Pale light emitted from her palms. Lina knew a healing spell when she saw one. Too be honest, she hadn't realized that Kagome could even do them yet. She must have been progressing at a greater pace then Lina had thought.

Amelia took notice of Kagome as well and ran over to help. Sitting next to Kagome, Amelia placed her hands over Inuyasha. Lina couldn't hear what Amelia was saying but she was no doubt giving Kagome some pointers. It looked like Amelia had every thing taken care of over there.

Lina made her way over to where she might be of some help. Zelgadis still hadn't gotten up from his hit earlier. Miroku had waded up some cloth and was pressing it to Zel's chest. The cloth, which looked as though it was part of Zel's cape, was stained dark red in places. Lina knelt down next to her fallen friend and motioned for Miroku to move his makeshift bandage.

As the bandage was moved, Lina could see the damage that was done to Zel. His clothing was singed and burnt exposing his blue rocky skin underneath. The skin was scorched where he had been hit. In places it split like broken earth and blood seeped through. He must have been hit hard to crack him open like this.

Lina closed her eyes and placed her hands on his chest. She couldn't help but realize that this was the first time she had ever felt Zel's skin. She's known him nearly four years and she'd never actually felt how rough the tissue and rock growths were. No wonder he was a little bit jumpy on the subject of being touched. Actually, jumpy might be putting it lightly - he tended to avoid touch like the plague. With a slight shake of her head, she put the thought out of her mind and concentrated on healing her friend.

The magic tingled as it flowed through her hands and into his body. Lina was not as talented as Amelia with healing, but she could definitely hold her own. As his wounds slowly healed, Lina tried to keep her mind focused instead of letting it wander to the places that it wanted to. When she was certain that she had done all that she would be able to, she pulled her hands away.

Lina absently detached her cloak and laid it over him, knowing that the little bit of extra warmth would be helpful.

With a sigh, she fell back onto her heels. She couldn't help but think of what they were going to do now. Their quest for the jewel shards had just gotten a whole lot more difficult. Despite Kagome's warnings on how dangerous Naraku was, Lina still had hardly worried about him. But now that he had Mazuko working with him, this mission had just got a hell of a lot harder.

Why would Mazuko work with Naraku in the first place? It didn't make any sense.

Her mind automatically went through everything that she had observed over the past few weeks.

Inuyasha. The Grape Ape. Kagura. Kagome. Xelloss.

That last name made her thoughts stutter.

Just watching the way that Xelloss treated Inuyasha, Lina had a good idea that Xelloss didn't like the guy. But it was more then just not liking him, in fact she was certain that Xelloss had had the same attitude towards Shippo. The more she thought about it, the more Lina was certain that the attitude had not been limited to Xelloss, but was a trait in all Mazuko – like their hatred of dragons or their need to create havoc. So why then, would Mazuko lower themselves to work with Naraku? And, how the hell did Prince Phil's book come into this? She knew that book had to be more important than they had originally thought. In fact, she had a sinking suspicion that if asked Xelloss would be able to answer all of her questions on the subject. Not that she had much of a chance of actually getting him to answer.

Lina needed a plan and fast if she was going to unravel this mystery.

Zelgadis moaned lightly and brought Lina's thoughts back to her friend. His chest was healed but it would probably be another day or so before his energy returned. After all, it was quite a hit that he had took.

Miroku sat quietly by her side, Shippo perched alert on his shoulder. Both were staring intently at Zelgadis.

"Will he be okay?" Miroku asked.

Lina sighed, "He'll be fine. Zel's a hard egg to crack."

Healing always zapped the energy out of her. She felt an arm around her shoulder and looked up to see that it was Gourry.

"Sorry I was so useless," he muttered in a dejected voice.

Lina didn't respond, knowing that she didn't need to put the guy down anymore then he was already feeling.

"Maybe Zel and I can make you some type of special sword," she said suddenly, the idea coming to her. "Of course it wouldn't be anywhere near as powerful as the Sword of Light but we can make you something a hell of a lot better then that stupid thing."

Why the hell hadn't she thought of that before?

Gourry seemed to perk up with that idea and squeezed her shoulder in encouragement. He took his hand away to scratch the back of his head as if he were in thought. Lina tried not to dwell on the fact that her shoulder felt a little colder without his hand there.

"I'd like that," he smiled back with his goofy grin.

"How's Zel?" Amelia asked as she approached.

Lina got back up onto her feet and brushed off her leggings.

"He'll be fine," she replied and looked over to Inuyasha. Kagome had his head in her lap and was petting, for lack of a better word, his white hair. She had a feeling that if he were awake he wouldn't stand for that type of treatment. "And Inuyasha?"

"Lost a lot of blood, but nothing we couldn't fix," answered Amelia. Her voice lacked its usual perkiness. "Where to now?"

Lina shrugged getting back up to her feet, "Someplace where we can recover and regroup."

"We can go to Kaede's," Sango replied. Lina had almost forgotten that she was there. She had moved next to Miroku and was now holding Shippo. The little fox was struggling to get out of her arms. Lina raised an eyebrow at the kid.

"Some place you need to be Shippo?" Lina asked.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I should be helping Kagome!"

"Leave Kagome be for the moment," Miroku's stern voice caused Shippo to pause and hang his head in defeat.

"Who's Kaede?" Amelia asked.

"A friend," Sango answered. "We should be able to get a nice hot meal and perhaps a good place to plan our next move. She doesn't live too far from here. If we leave soon, we should be there before nightfall. "

"Sango's right," Miroku agreed.

"How's Kagome?" Sango turned to Amelia.

She frowned and Lina watched as the girl searched for the right words.

"It's been a rough day for her," she finally replied.

Sango nodded and handed Shippo over to Amelia before heading over to where Kagome sat.

"Hey!" Shippo yelled struggling in his new captors arms. "Not fair!"

A moan turned Lina's attention back to where Zelgadis lay. It looked like he was waking.

"Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia exclaimed kneeling besides him. He opened his eyes and struggled to prop himself up on his elbows. Amelia instantly helped him sit up. Lina's cloak pooled around his waist. She wasn't sure if the guy even noticed it was there. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit," he replied taking a moment to rub his forehead with his hand. With his other hand he fingered the black cloak that was obviously not his. Lina could see the exact moment on his face when he remembered exactly how he had ended up hurt. His gaze went from the cloak onto the ruined state of his shirt. He muttered a few words under his breath before sarcastically saying. "Just great."

"Could be worse," Lina smiled. "You could be missing your entire shirt."

Zel glared at her.

* * *

Xelloss felt the presence of other Mazuko long before he saw them. They were exuding negative energy, not even trying to hide the fact that they were there. Not very practical for a Mazuko to do, at least Xelloss never felt that it was. There was a reason that he repressed and hide his energy when in the human world. After all, how could he carry out his missions if he was advertising where he was?

He preferred to get close to his prey without them ever noticing.

Xelloss had faded into the background and disappeared without Lina taking notice. He waited in the trees as Lina and the others stumbled upon the scene of carnage, a smile gracing his face at the intense feelings of despair that had radiated from the group. Kagome had especially suffered.

When the other Mazuko had appeared, he hadn't been surprised. They foolishly hadn't even noticed that the priest was with them. How idiotic could his kind be? He had been with Lina and the others all day, but because he was dampening his energy, they hadn't even realized who he was. A mistake on their part that they would soon pay for with their lives.

Malachi rarely made mistakes like that. He had always been one of the more intelligent and cunning Mazuko out there. Xelloss would almost consider him free spirited for a Mazuko. While Mazuko thrived on chaos, there had been very little change in Mazuko hierarchy and life for thousands of years - until recently. But Malachi always strived for change, and was dangerous for it.

Seeing Malachi working for Naraku was expected, however Succhii was quite a surprise.

Xelloss had stayed to watch the fight between Lina, Succhii, and the half-breed. It was slightly disappointing; he wasn't even sure if it was worth being called a fight. Lina seemed to have lost some of her edge over time without fighting Mazuko on a daily basis.

Pity.

She had been something extraordinary.

Oh she was still special, but no where as powerful as she had been when he'd last left her. Her power after the fall of Darkstar, when she was in her prime, now that was something of beauty. It could have taken out Succhii in a heart beat.

But the sharp edge was now missing.

Xelloss was going to have to work on bringing it back.

The ten minutes that Malachi had allotted Succhii had passed quickly. Like a dog, he had practically ran away with his tail between his legs. Limping and wounded, an embarrassment to Mazuko everywhere.

The astral plane that he had escaped to would not conceal him from Xelloss though.

Xelloss smiled as Succhii tensed and spun around in search of his follower.

"Malachi?" he tentatively called out.

Xelloss couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips at Succhii's proclamation. He let his power lose and engulfed Succhii in it.  
Succhii was momentarily stunned and Xelloss took that moment to come up behind him. He placed his palm practically flat against Succhii's back and fired.

The other Mazuko screeched in pain as he flailed about. His body had ripped apart in strange angles and his black insides where clearly visible.

The fight was over before it had even begun.

Succhii could do nothing against the Beastmaster's grip.

"Succhii, Succhii, Succhii," Xelloss chided as he barely suppressed his laughter. "You've been a bad boy."

"I . . . I . . . ah . . . ." was all that Succhii could get out of his mouth.

"Now, I was hoping to follow you straight to Naraku's castle, but you just had notice me before you had gotten there. So, I'm just going to have to get the information from you another way," Xelloss' eyes glinted as he smiled wider. "I don't think that Deep Sea Dolphin is going to let you off very easy when he finds out that you've been consorting with the Lesser Kindred behind his back. Oh no indeed. So, you can either tell me what I want to know, and maybe you'll be dead by the time I hand your body over to your Master; or I can torture the information out of you and then hand you over to him alive. You decide."

Xelloss and Succhii were miles away from Lina and the others and in another dimension. Nevertheless, Lina could have sworn that she'd heard someone screaming.

**

* * *

**

**Spells used in this chapter:**

**Burst Flare (baasuto furea)**

**Category: _Shamanism / Fire_**

A ball of light appears in the targeted area, and in the next instant the ball bursts, raising a tongue of blue white flame. The flames can melt even a golem with ease. Against a human, not even the bones will remain. This is the strongest fire-shamanist magic a normal human can cast.

**Blast Bomb (burasuto bomu)**

**Category: _Shamanism / Fire_**

The strongest fire-shamanist magic, said to be castable only by the legendary mage, Rei Magnus. When the spell is cast, balls of light about the size of a fist appear. Up to this point, the spell is similar to Flare Bit, but each ball nearly has the same destructive power as Burst Flare. This spell can not be cast by even Lina without the help of the Demon's Blood Talismans.

**Boost (buusuto)**

**Category: _Black / Offensive_**

This spell triggers a magical item to release its power. Specifically, this spell is used to activate Lina's talismans in order to allow use of high-power attacks like Blast Bomb and the Laguna Blade.


	12. The Real Deal with Bill McNeal

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

**

* * *

**

The Lesser Kindred

Chapter 11: The Real Deal with Bill McNeal

* * *

To Lina, the journey to Kaede's hut seemed to take longer then it should have.

Okay, Lina didn't actually know how long it was supposed to take, but damn Lina was ready to be there.

They tried to make the best time that they could. Mostly, they stuck to the air. Those who could fly would and those who couldn't had to find someone (or some creature in the case of Kirara) latch onto. Lina carried Gourry as per what seemed their normal routine.

Zelgadis held on to Miroku. Lina yelled at him for a bit about putting too much of a strain on his magic after being healed only a hour ago, but it was to no avail. It didn't seem to matter to him; he refused to let Miroku be carried by Amelia. Sango was also against the idea of letting Miroku ride with her on Kirara; something about lecherous ways and roaming hands that she was in no mood to deal with. So, Miroku grasped Zelgadis' hand looking rather put out with the situation while Amelia practically snuggled with Shippo in her arms.

Inuyasha was still unconscious as they traveled to Kaede's hut. They had to haul him onto Kirara for transport; the guy was heavier then he looked. He wasn't alone on the giant cat either. Kagome sat directly behind him with Inuyasha laying half way in her lap. Lina doubted that it was a position that he would agree to be in if he was conscious. Sango sat directly behind Kagome. The three of them were smashed together quite a bit in order to all fit.

Lina wasn't sure, but she swore that the demon cat was not so happy with the arrangement.

Inuyasha woke about half way through the journey. Lina didn't exactly see what had happened but it did end in shouting and Inuyasha falling from the sky.

It brought a little bit of humor to an otherwise sucky ass day.

They stumbled onto Kaede's village about a hour before sunset.

It was a small village undistinguishable from all the other small villages that Lina had seen. Her hut was little but the old woman welcomed them with open arms. At least once Kagome insured her that the new comers were okay, she did. Kaede was especially happy to see Kagome. It made Lina crack a small smile at how motherly the woman was. In fact Lina would have assumed that she was Kagome's mother if Kagome hadn't said earlier that she was not from around here.

While Kaede was doing her best to make everybody comfortable, the atmosphere was still tense. The flight over here was not the ideal circumstance to have the conversation that was at the forefront of everyone's mind. In fact, even after they had arrived they were so exhausted to do much of anything. They had stopped for a very short meal earlier in the day and hadn't taken a break since.

Lina had to admit, she wanted a full stomach before any serious conversation started. No seemed to disagree with her.

They kept busy preparing dinner. Kagome was especially quiet. In fact, Lina was almost certain that Kagome had been unnaturally quiet since they had left the battle scene. When Lina asked Sango why she had quietly whispered back that it was because Kagome had been close to one of the wolves that had died that morning. Sango didn't need to say anymore. Lina had lost plenty of people in her life. Some she had been close to while others were only acquaintances, but each time stung in their own way. She had accepted death as a part of her life a long time ago. Lina wasn't so sure that that lesson had set in for Kagome yet. Grief wasn't really Lina's thing though. She tended to cope with pain by beating things up, not the best mechanism to pass on to the girl.

While the dinner was delicious, people seemed to eat at a reserved pace. Hell, even Lina ate slower then normal. It wasn't that people had been avoiding talking about what had happened earlier; it was that they had been too hungry, too exhausted and too busy to until now.

And Lina was going to seize that chance while everyone was still sitting in the same room.

"So we have a problem," Lina said putting down her tea. Everyone at the table looked at her, surprised at her sudden outburst.

"Keh, that's putting it lightly," Inuyasha replied. His voice seemed to have lost some of the edge that it normally had. It seemed like the battle today had tired him out a bit. "Who the fuck were those two guys with Kagura?"

"Mazoku," Zelgadis answered.

"But they were so strong," commented Sango. "Nothing like any demon I've ever seen before."

"And how the hell did they know we where going to be?!" Inuyasha voice was a little weak still but full of anger. "Like I said earlier, it had to have been that fucking priest Xelloss!"

Lina pressed her lips together as she considered Inuyasha's accusations. She was not naïve and knew exactly what Xelloss was. But she honestly didn't believe that he would have ratted them out.

"It wasn't him," replied Lina with a firm voice. "He might be an asshole, but he hates the demons from this land with a passion. He wouldn't help Naraku."

"What do you mean hate them?" Sango asked, confusion written all over her face. "Isn't he a demon as well?"

"No," Lina shook her head. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. He's a Mazoku, the same thing as that creep Succhii is. And from what little I've seen from the demons of this land, they are two completely different things."

"But that doesn't explain why he wouldn't help Naraku," replied Kagome.

"Haven't you seen the way he treats Inuyasha?" Zelgadis answered the question instead of Lina. She was a bit surprised that he had noticed the conflict between the two as well. She shouldn't have been though, considering not much gets past him. "The disgust is so deep that it practically makes my skin itch."

"The feeling's mutual," muttered Inuyasha.

"And the way he looks at Shippo," Lina gestured to the fox. "Half the time he looks as though he's going to rip the kids neck out."

"It's not that bad," Sango said.

"Yes it is," Zelgadis frowned. "Just from his reaction to these two, it's obvious how he feels."

"But if these Mazoku hate the demons of this land so much," Miroku began. "Why would two of them be working with Naraku?"

"Power," Lina answered. "It's always about power with Mazoku. I'm not sure what they think that Naraku can do for them, but it is obviously something."

"All about power indeed," came Xelloss' voice. Lina looked up from the table to see the Priest standing behind her in the doorway. He smiled at the table as he approached. Crossing her arms, Lina glared at him from her spot.

"I see that you've finally decided to join us," Lina said.

"Yes, well you didn't really need me back there," he replied waving his hand in a nonchalant manner.

Lina almost growled at him.

Inuyasha looked like he was about to pull out his sword right at the table. Kagome quickly intervened by laying a hand on his leg and whispering something into his ear. Inuyasha shot another murderous glance at Xelloss but remained where he was sitting.

"So," Kagome said turning her attention back to the Priest. "Where did you run off to?"

"I had some business to attend to," he replied.

"What type of business?" asked Sango.

"Now that's a secret."

"Well, un-secret it," Lina said.

"Now Lina," Xelloss laughed. It was low and had a hint of menace in it. "Things aren't that simple. I had thought that over the years you had that figured out."

"A trade then," Lina replied, "For information."

Lina had half thought that the Mazoku would laugh at her solution but instead he just examined her. Lina's mind stuttered.; perhaps offering a trade wasn't the best idea. She didn't like the evil gleam in his eye.

"If you work for me Lina then you can have all of the information you desire," Xelloss offered.

"Not going to happen," Lina didn't even have to think about that. No way in hell would she ever work for a Mazoku. Not now, not ever. "Name something else."

"Lina," Zelgadis said from next to her. "Are you sure you want to do this? We don't need his help. We can find out the information some other way."

Zelgadis shot a glance at Xelloss. Lina could tell that he was wary of what conditions Xelloss might ask for. But Lina knew that if they were too extreme she could always say no. It was worth a shot, maybe – just maybe he might ask for something reasonable. . . .

"No," Lina answered Zel. "I'm sick and tired of going into these situations blind. We are not getting into another mess like we've done in the past, not if we can avoid it. And maybe, just maybe things will go a little easier this time."

"How can you even trust him to not go back on his word?" Zelgadis asked.

"If we make a deal, Xelloss will honor it," Lina replied. She was sure of it. Xelloss didn't back out with the deal for the Blood Talismans, even though he had no attention of selling them. But she had paid the price that he named and he had given them to her. This was the same. If Lina could pay the price then Xelloss would hold up his end of the bargain. She was sure of it. Xelloss might be an evil sick bastard. But he has his own twisted sense of honor, she'll give him that.

"Look at you Ms. Inverse," Xelloss said, coming further into the room. "Dealing with Mazoku. Are you sure you're ready to pay the price?"

Lina stared back at him. She wasn't backing down yet. He was trying to scare her and it was not going to work. Lina would get the needed information this time. There would be no repeat of Dark Star or Hellmaster – not if she could help it. This time, Lina would be fully informed of the situation.

"You don't scare me Xelloss," she answered. "Name your price."

"Then maybe you're not as smart as I thought," Xelloss replied. Lina glared back at him angrily. How dare he insinuate that she was stupid! He knew damn well that she was a genius when it came to magic. "I want you Lina Inverse."

Lina sighed and got to her feet, wanting to be closer to the priest as she made her point. She almost tripped on the floor pillow that she was sitting on as she stood. Shit, how embarrassing. The entire table watched the two of them, waiting for what would happen next.

"I already told you, that is _not_ going to happen.," she said walking closer. "I'm _not_ working for you. I'm _not_ working for Zelas Metalliumelas. I am _not_ working for the Mazoku, end of story."

Sometimes it was like talking to a ten year old.

Xelloss laughed again. This time though any mirth that was there the first time was gone. This laugh was cold and hard. Kagome and Sango shifted as if surprised to hear it from his mouth. Perhaps this was the first time that they had a small glance his true nature. Saying someone was dangerous was completely different then actually realizing it for one's self.

He moved besides her and lowered his face down. His eyes were open and glinted unearthly in the light. The violet color a strong reminder of the fact the he was a Mazoku, as if Lina needed a reminder.

He brought his lips to her ear and whispered. His words were inaudible to everyone except for Lina.

"I want you," he whispered. Although light in sound, his voice was hard and cold. Her body involuntarily shivered as he continued to speak. "I want the chaos in your soul. The dark energy that whirls around your body. The power that comes from touching the Lord of Nightmares. It's merged with your aura. The pure negative _raw_ power that comes from touching our mother; it's intoxicating. A shining beacon in the mist of mediocrity. To taste something so pure is not something to pass up."

"What do you mean?" Lina asked, not quite sure if she wanted to hear the answer. Lina racked her brain for all of the information that she knew about the Mazoku, but nothing seemed to ring any bells with what Xelloss was saying.

"You are the only human to touch our kind so intimately and survive," Xelloss replied pressing his lips almost against her ear. "The power has bonded with you. It will always be with you. Humans put negative energy out into the world through their actions, words and thoughts. But the energy in the 'air' is not as potent as the energy that is can be taken directly from the human soul."

Lina took a deep breath as he words clicked into place. Xelloss didn't need to finish what he was saying; she knew exactly where he was going with this. With Lina have being the only human to have ever channeled the Lord of Nightmares; the negative energy in her soul was strong. That's what he wanted, to _feed_ off of her for lack of a better word.

"Will it kill me?" she whispered straight to the point. This was not a topic covered in the all you need to know about Mazoku hand book. And that was probably because there hasn't ever been a human around to talk about it. No way would she allow herself to get information only to be killed in exchange for it.

"If I take too much then yes," Lina could hear the smile in his voice. "But I prefer you alive, Lina. You are much too interesting to die."

"And you'll tell me everything?"

"Concerning Naraku, yes."

Lina swallowed.

"And what about Naraku?" Lina asked keeping her voice as low as she could knowing that Xelloss could still hear her. If this exchange wasn't going to kill her, it would definitely make her weak. Who knows what type of havoc that this would create with her magic? "I won't be any good in a fight if I can hardly cast any spells."

"You don't have to worry about that," Lina could hear the smile in his voice. "Just between you and I, Naraku has currently misplaced one of his Mazoku. You should be recovered by the time that they find a replacement for him."

She let her eyes focus on those who sat at the table with her. Zelgadis was watching her with rapt attention. Although he couldn't hear what Xelloss was saying to her, he would no doubt know that it was dangerous. All the others were watching with mixed expressions of curiosity and apprehension, except for Inuyasha. Lina stopped herself from swearing, Inuyasha had no doubt heard the terms of the deal – due to his enhanced senses. He had the same expression as Zel did. One of seriousness.

Gourry was fidgeting nervously on the ground. The man might be as dumb as a box of rocks but he always seemed to have almost a sixth sense when it came to Xelloss. She still remembered the time when Gourry said that he had know for a long time that Xelloss was a Mazuko but didn't tell anyone because he thought that they all already knew. He didn't look angry or serious but worried. It was his expression that struck her the most.

"So Lina," Xelloss said pulling away so all could hear. "Do you agree with the deal?"

Xelloss' eyes were closed again. And of that, she was glad.

Lina needed a moment to think. Just how important was this information about Naraku? Was it worth her _soul_ so to speak? He wouldn't actually take her soul (at least she didn't think so) but apparently he would feed off of it. A process that was no doubly painful. Lina wasn't the typical girl but like most other girls, she didn't happen to like pain very much. But Lina knew that there was a very good chance that it was worth it. Did Lina really want to stumble through fighting Mazoku, again? Hell no. There was a chance that Xelloss didn't know anything, but Lina didn't think so. If Xelloss was here with them, then he knew what was going on. He had a mission, whatever that might be, to complete.

Xelloss had assured her that she wouldn't have to worry about Naraku attacking while she was out of commission. She wondered if he had caught either of the Mazoku that they had faced earlier in the day or if there were more of them out there. Either way, Lina doubted that Mazoku where lining up to work for the guy.

"I want to know everything concerning Naraku," Lina replied rather firmly. "But, I also want to know all of the information about why Mazoku and the demons of this land are different. I demand to know what your role is in all of this and that _we_ can continue asking questions – _that you will answer _– even after my part of the bargain is complete. This isn't a 'you only have one time to ask all of the questions' type of deal. We will have open communication throughout the entire confrontation and situation."

Xelloss studied her for a second.

"Agreed," he smiled.

"Then you have yourself a deal," Lina held out her hand. Xelloss took it and shook, sealing the pact.

"What did you just agree to Lina?" Zel asked. His voice low and full of trepidation.

"Nothing that you'll need to worry about," Lina replied. The words didn't settle Zelgadis' worry though. Hell, they didn't even help calm her stomach. "Please Zel, it'll be fine. I wouldn't agree to anything that I didn't think I couldn't handle."

Lina took her seat back on the ground around the table. Gourry looked at her and frowned. Lina did not like the concern on his face either.

"So what exactly are the differences between the Mazoku and the demons of this land?" Lina asked hoping to turn all of the attention off of her.

"Why the animosity?" Zelgadis pressed. While he might be worried, Lina knew that this was an opportunity that he could not pass up.

"The demons of this land are called the Lesser Kindred. The _animosity _comes from them being inferior to us in every possible way," Xelloss vaguely answered straining the word animosity as if it was a far too simple of a word to use in this situation.

"Keh, as if I were inferior to you," Inuyasha scoffed. "I could kick your ass any day."

"So says the half-breed mutt who just had a hole shot through his chest," Xelloss sneered.

"Why are they inferior?" Kagome asked seeming to come a little out of her funk. Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue with her words choices, but with a look from Kagome – he closed it rather fast.

"Any guesses before I answer Lina?" Xelloss asked her.

Lina had been thinking about the differences between the two ever since she noticed them. While she might have some base theories, she had nothing concrete.

"While Mazoku feed off of the negative energy of the world," Lina thought out loud, "the demons of this land do not. Right?" Lina looked at Kagome and Inuyasha for confirmation. Kagome nodded and Lina continued. "Xelloss gives off this negative aura as well – all Mazoku give off the negative aura. The demons from this land seem to have a similar aura. I noticed it when we fought the Grape Ape, but it was very faint, almost like it was cut off or shielded or something... You called the Mazoku Upper Kindred, earlier right? Which means if you are the Upper Kindred and they are the Lower Kindred then there must be some sort of relation between the two? So, whatever separates the Kindred could very well stem from this difference with the aura and negative energy?"

Lina pressed her fingers on her lips in thought. She knew she was on the right track but couldn't quite grasp how the pieces fit together.

"Very nice Ms. Lina Inverse," Xelloss clapped. "You are so very close."

"I know," Lina replied. "Now if you could just fill in the rest?"

Xelloss took a seat next to Lina, rudely shoving her over into Gourry, and grabbed the tea pot in the middle. There weren't any unused cups left on the table. Instead, he grabbed the tea cup that Lina had been drinking out of only a minute before. He slowly pored himself some of the liquid and took a sip. Lina glared at him, but he seemed to take no notice of the annoyance.

"There was a war, before that with the Dragons, between various factions of Mazoku," Xelloss said. Lina's mouth almost fell open in shock. There was no dancing around the issue, or saying that it was a secret – he was actually answering the question! "The dispute was over power and the division of territories. As punishment for the losing side, their power source was stripped and they were cast out of the astral plane. No longer could they harvest the negative energy of the world. Oh no – they would have to rely on what ever feeble power that was contained in their own being. Theirs was a punishment worse then death. To become mortal and live as mortals do – to die as mortals do. They only had a fraction of their power. And we made sure to make them acutely aware of that fact. Hundreds, no thousands of years we tormented them. Fed off of them. Destroyed them. Ensured that they suffered for their indiscretions and delusions of grandeur."

"Oh really?" Inuyasha scoffed. "Because I have never been tormented by any _Mazoku_ during my life."

"That's because the Dragon War happened," Lina inputted as the gears in her head turned, "and Hellmaster created the barrier! The barrier cut off all connections between the two worlds. And – "

"And the Lesser Kindred escaped their punishment," Xelloss finished. "By the time the barrier collapsed we no longer felt the need to associate with the banished. We had a kingdom to rebuild after all."

"And Naraku?" Kagome asked. "What does he have to do with all of this?"

"He wishes to ascend," Xelloss sneered, "to become one of the Upper Kindred."

"Can he do that?" Sango asked.

"With the right ritual, then yes."

"So you're here to stop him from ascending?" Amelia asked.

"Yes," replied Xelloss.

"But why hasn't he just done it yet?" Gourry asked.

"There are steps that need to be followed and sacrifices that need to be made," answered Xelloss.

"Vague much?" Lina frowned. "I thought you said that you'd tell us everything."

"I can only tell you as much as I know," Xelloss smiled. "The book you are chasing is called the Necronomicon."

The grin grew even larger as he watched Lina's reaction to his words.

Lina inhaled deeply before she could stop herself. The Necronomicon was the source of legends. A treasure sought after almost as much as the Clair Bible. _How the hell had Phil gotten a hold of it?!_ No wonder he wasn't able to translate the book. It was said to be written in the language of the Mazoku.

"Seriously?" Zel voice hitched up an octave. "Naraku has the Necronomicon?"

"What's the Necronomicon?" Miroku asked.

"It's a book that's supposed to archive the secrets of the Mazoku," Lina replied. "Legends say it's part rituals, part history book and part spell theory. It's rumored that it was written by Dynast Grauscherra, by order of Shabranigdu himself as a guide and history for Mazoku. We are in deep shit. There's no telling what he could do with that book. No wonder he stole it from Phil, the ritual must be written in it."

"How does this ritual work?" Zel asked.

For a moment Xelloss looked like he wasn't going to answer the question. Lina was not going to have that. They made a deal damn it – and with what she was willing to pay, she was getting all of the information that she could out of him.

"Answer the question," she almost demanded.

Xelloss sighed and took a slow sip of his tea. He was no doubt looking for the right words to use without saying too much.

"Normally Mazoku are created from their Lords. The more powerful a Lord is, the more minions they create to follow them," Xelloss explained. "But the Necronomicon contains information for creating a Mazuko from another method. It is a method that allows one to ascend to the potion of Upper Kindred. This is how Gaav created Valgarv and how you, Lina, would be given the gift of ascension. Naraku will use this method to turn himself into a Mazuko. Normally when Mazoku are created in this method, they are linked to a Lord. However if they are powerful enough before the process, then it is possible to become a Lord."

"What about the Mazoku helping Naraku?" Sango asked. "Succhii and that other guy?"

"Malachi," Kagome inputted. "His name is Malachi. That's what Kagura had called him."

"Mazoku are always attracted to power," Lina said. "If they think Naraku can give them more power, then they'll flock to him."

"Malachi was a servant of Hellmaster," Xelloss answered pausing for a sip of his tea. "With Fibrizo gone, his power has been wounded. If Naraku can succeed in becoming a Mazoku Lord, Malachi hopes to bond to him and become his general. Naraku would make a powerful Mazoku, and Malachi knows this."

"Wait, what?" Kagome asked. "He's still more powerful right now then Naraku, right? So why in the world would he work with the guy?"

"Because of Naraku's potential," Lina answered. "With Hellmaster gone, Malachi must be pretty far down on the totem pole. He probably hasn't joined or bonded or whatever the hell it's called with another Mazoku Lord because he would be at the bottom - and likely remain there for a very long time. Like all Mazoku he wants to be at the top, he can't do that on his own and there is no way that another Lord would give him that position or that type of power."

"Lina's right," Zel continued. "The power structure for Mazoku has been pretty static until recently."

"So then why don't you want Naraku?" Inuyasha asked. "If the bastards going to be as powerful as you say, why don't you allow him into your little club?"

"The Lesser Kindred are the lowest scum on this plane of existence. While he might be powerful, he is still unworthy of becoming a Mazoku," Xelloss sneered.

"So where does the Shikon no Tama come into this?" Kagome asked. "He's been after it for years."

"The jewel has power," smiled Xelloss. "And without a Mazoku Lord to channel the power into him, he needs another source. Hence the jewel."

"Ugh . . . ." Lina ran a hand through her hair. "I fucking hate Mazoku."

"Agreed," Zel leaned back onto his arms and looked up at the ceiling.

Lina sighed as she rubbed her face. Oh this was just fucking great!

An arm around her shoulder made her look up. Xelloss had scouted closer to her while she was thinking about their predicament.

"I believe that it is time to hold up your end of the bargain," his eyes had opened again. Lina felt her stomach involuntarily churn.

Already? Damn it.

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

Zelgadis was watching her from across the table.

"It'll be fine Zel," she tried to reassure him.

"Let's go someplace a little more quiet."

Xelloss parted from her and walked out of the door.

It wasn't Zel that had gotten up to his feet to follow but Gourry. He grabbed her arm as she was exiting the hut. Lina turned around and tried to give him her most confident smile. It didn't seem to be working though.

"Good luck," he said. "I . . . um . . . I'm here for you whenever you get back from doing whatever you'll be doing if you need me."

"I'll be fine," she said pushing his shoulder lightly. "But thanks anyway."

Lina ran a hand threw her hair nervously before she could stop herself. Damn, she was trying to play it cool here and that didn't help anything. She turned and walked out of the door before she could second guess her decision.

Xelloss walked purposefully out into the evening air. The sun was setting off into the west casting ominous shadows. He led them into the forest. Lina followed at a little slower pace then normal. If Xelloss noticed, he didn't say anything. She remained quiet during her trek thinking of the earlier conversation. It was better to think of all of the new information that she had learned instead of the price she was going to pay for it.

The thought that the Necronomicon had been found was unsettling. And the fact that Naraku had the damn book was almost frightening. True, she hadn't met the guy, but anyone with the type of ambitions he had was bad news. If Mazoku were willing to follow him, then no good could come from him.

A collision with a large solid object stopped her train of thought. She found herself on the ground looking up at a still Xelloss. Lina was not going to be embarrassed that she ran into him. Why the hell should she be? He's as quiet as a freaking cat! Standing up, she brushed the dirt off of her back.

"Where to now?" she asked looking around the forest. Lina hadn't been paying a whole lot of attention to the journey, but they couldn't have gotten too far right? Looking around, she noticed that they were not on a path of any kind. Quite frankly, Lina had no idea what direction the hut was in. Just great.

"This distance should be sufficient enough," Xelloss said turning to face her. He walked over to a large tree and sat down with his legs crossed. His back was against the bark. He patted his lap motioning for Lina to sit on it. She shifted uncomfortably before giving into the gesture. Lina sat lightly on one of his knees, trying to keep as much of her weight as possible on her legs that were still on the mossy ground. Xelloss wasn't having any of that though; a second later he pulled her so that she was entirely in his lap. One arm snaked around her chest and while the other encircled her stomach. He pulled her close to him so that her back was pressed tight against his chest.

The position was unnatural and weird, to put it simply.

Lina wanted to ask him what the hell he was doing but she couldn't seem to find her voice.

Xelloss chuckled at her discomfort.

"Relax Lina," he said as he placed his head onto her shoulder.

"Right, cause then it won't hurt as much," Lina replied anticipating what he would say. She shifted uncomfortably in his arms that still had a firm grasp around her body.

"My, my. . . .oh no dear Lina," his voice was close, in her ear almost. "This is going to hurt a lot."

Lina wasn't sure if she screamed. She wasn't sure if she moved or convulsed in his arms. The only thing that registered in her mind was the pain.


	13. Alone

**AN:** Hey everyone, sorry that the April chapter came out in...well...in May. I'll still try to get the next chapter out this month as well. Thanks for reading. And, don't forget to review! The good, the bad and the ugly - I want hear whatever you have to say! Thanks!

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

* * *

**The Lesser Kindred**

Chapter 12: Alone

* * *

Pain.

Lina saw nothing but black. Whether her eyelids were open or close seemed irrelevant. It was dark, and that was the only sense of sight that her brain could register. Her eyes could have been fully functional for all that she knew, but her mind couldn't register anything but the most basic, primal of feelings. As if she was reverting back to a being that only felt fear and hate.

Pain.

Her veins burned.

Her lungs were on fire. Just breathing was torture. Her breath came out in spastic gasps intermingled with violent coughs. From somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she recognized that bits of blood and other various flesh were being hacked up from her throat and lungs.

Every nerve in her body cried in agony. From the tips of her toes to the hair follicles on her head she could feel her synapses misfiring. It wasn't a slight tingle but rather like electricity racing through her flesh. Every breeze that caressed her body felt like razors scraping across her skin. It was pain, plain and simple.

Lina wasn't even able to focus her mind enough to realize what was happening. It felt like someone had taken a hammer to her skull. All thought process was stopped in lieu of the torment that coursed through her body. It was a torture beyond understanding. If Lina was asked to describe it later on, she wouldn't be able to. All she would be able to say was that it hurt, a lot.

Her soul screamed. It felt as if she was being split into two. As if something foreign was invading her body. Ripping and tearing away at parts that she never realized existed. But worst of all she felt the darkness swarming all over her. It seeped into her pours and crawled over her skin. It made her feel sick and tainted. She felt alone and worthless. Violating her body and mind. Lina felt like the darkness would sweep her up and she would forever be lost in its currents. Swimming for her life in a sea of pain and hate. Forever alone.

Rational thought escaped her. Time escaped her. She was stuck in a limbo of torment without an end in sight.

Lina was dying, she was sure of it.

The sickly caress of her soul finally ended, but the after effects did not. She still felt dirty, tainted. Her body convulsed and her head pounded. She grasped at coherent thought while trying to control her seizing muscles. But even that simple function escaped her.

Time continued to pass as if it was in eons instead of minutes. It was immeasurable, consisting of only pain. All awareness of her surroundings was gone. There was only darkness and the cold abyss that encompassed her. Complete isolation.

Throughout the fog of her mind, rational thought fought to return.

She tried to sit up but found that she couldn't control her limbs. They seemed to jerk around uncontrollably and then collided with something hard. Her attempt at movement caused her pain to double, a slight jolt that went through her arm as the collision traveled through her body. Every bone ached with the spastic actions. The nerve endings of her skin screamed with pain. She was aware of every piece of clothing that scratched across her skin. It burned. She moved again, but this time she tore at her chest, trying to loosen the yellow sash that she wore. Wanting to be free of the constricting material.

Someone grabbed her arms and the pain only intensified. She could vaguely hear a voice but couldn't make out the words. Were they speaking to her? Her ears were ringing and it sounded like someone nearby was screaming.

She felt a pressure on her forehead and then all went black.

Unfortunately, the blissful unconsciousness did not last for long. Lina woke as a slight breeze ruffled her hair across her face sending sparks shooting through her body. Her body reacted without a moments thought. Opening her eyes, she tried to find the cause of her pain. Objects swirled in her vision and made her stomach churn. She quickly closed her eyes but she wasn't fast enough. Bile rose up her throat. Lina rolled on to her side as best as she could despite the aches that engulfed her. Hopefully, she had turned over enough that by the time she vomited it wasn't all over her.

Her entire body felt dirty. Lina's skin itched and felt heavy. And oh shit her head hurt. When she had opened her eyes she had made it worse. The slow thudding had turned into a fast throbbing.

She rolled onto her back with a painful thump.

Lina realized that even this hell was an improvement from before. At least this time she had thoughts that consisted of more then just emotions.

More voices assaulted her senses. Their identities remained illusive to her and there was no way that she would risk opening her eyes again. Not when she felt this horrible.

She was jostled again but this time the movement was too much. Pain overcame her and much to her relief, she passed out for a second time.

Lina slowly opened her eyes. Her body fought out of unconsciousness. She struggled, forcing herself back to her senses. It was not a pleasant awakening. Her mind was sluggish and rational thought lurked in the far recesses of her mind.

Images blurred around her as she tried to focus on her surroundings. Shit, it felt like she had just gone ten rounds with Shabranigdu and lost. What the fuck had she been doing yesterday? There was movement to her right. She let her head fall to the side to see who else was in the room. All she saw though was a pale grayish blue blob that permeated through the fuzzy darkness.

The blob of color noticed her movement and came to her side. As it came closer she could see yellow amongst the blue. It must be Gourry with her. Lina tried to move but couldn't seem to get her body to obey.

"Here," Gourry said as he helped Lina sit up and took a place next to her. The blankets that she had been so carefully tucked into pooled at her waist. Cold air assaulted her skin almost instantly triggering goosebumps on her flesh. Lina couldn't seem to stay up though and leaned against his shoulder. "Would you like some water?"

For the first time Lina noticed that he had a glass in his hands. She was grateful for it too, water sounded like paradise.

Lina reached for the cup but her arm seemed heavy. Gourry took pity on her and brought the cup to her lips. Normally she would protest at being treated like toddler but she really didn't have the energy. Instead, she was thankful that he was willing to help without her having to ask for it. He only let her take a few sips before pulling the glass away. She felt a little better with some water in her, but it was only marginally.

"Thank you," she managed to get out now that her throat was moister. It still burned though, like she had spent hours screaming at the top of her lungs. "More."

Lina weakly reached for the glass again only to have Gourry help her for a second time. This time she drank more and was able to move her hand up to the glass to at least control the tilt of the cup.

As water filled her stomach, her vision began to stabilize. Images stopped swirling around and final stilled. Gourry came into sharp focus next to her. He was staring quite intently at her face, concern marring his features.

It felt so good to be able to concentrate again.

Relief filled her as she took in her surroundings.

She was in a small bedroom that she had never seen before. Even in the darkness she noticed that there was barely enough room for the mat that she was laying on and the small rack of weapons that sat against the wall. An open closet was across from her contained a lot of red and white clothing. The moon hung high in the sky visible through the window confirming that it was night.

As she scanned the room trying to figure out where exactly she was, her eyes rested on a very familiar outfit folded at the foot of the bed.

"Gourry!" she attempted to scream but only rasped out. Lina made a reach for the sheet that had settled on her waist in order to pull it up over her bare chest. Unfortunately, the sudden movement was too much and pain shot through her body. Lina stiffened and curled, the lack of clothing no longer seemed like a problem.

Gourry grabbed the blanket at the end of the bed and draped it around her shoulders. It fell around her and into her lap as she tried to control her burning nerves.

Deep breaths.

Deep breaths.

She pulled the blanket closer around her as the pain finally ebbed out of existence.

Sparing a glance at Gourry from the corner of her eye, she could see him staring sheepishly at his hands, a slight blush marring his cheeks.

Lina opened her mouth to yell at him for getting an impromptu peep show before changing her mind. The poor guy hadn't even seemed to notice that she was hanging out for the world to see until she did. He had seemed genuinely worried about her. Because of that, she supposed that she could forgive him for just this one time.

Lina's mind returned to the task at hand, trying to figure where exactly they were. Not to mention, how exactly had she woken up naked and feeling like she had just gotten the shit beaten out of her multiple times.

Gourry must have seen the confusion on her face.

"We're in Kaede's second bedroom," he awkwardly said.

Lina nodded as it came back to her. That's right, they were on a mission to recover Phil's book and had met Kagome and Inuyasha in the process. But that still didn't explain why she felt like shit.

"But then why…." she trailed off as she was trying to remember what had happened.

"Remember Lina," Gourry coached. "The deal with Xelloss?"

Lina stilled as she involuntarily shivered again.

Oh yeah, Lina remembered all right. Her body tensed as she remembered the pain. As she remembered the dark and the fear that had coursed had through her veins. She didn't realize that she was still shaking until she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her.

Lina buried her head in Gourry's chest. She was not going to cry damn it! Tears threatened to well up in her eyes so she just pressed against him tighter. He didn't whisper any of those stupid reassurances that always made her want to hurl. No, he just held her and remained quiet. They had been together for a long time. And thankfully, he seemed to know just what she needed.

If it was Amelia right now, the girl would insist on talking about feelings. Insisting that it would be alright - meaning well, but never actually grasping the situation.

Zelgadis would pat her on the back awkwardly. Actually, he would just be awkward about this entire situation. He was never one to deal with emotional issues very well.

But not Gourry. He was her rock. One of the few things that remained constant in her life. Zel would often run off on his own quests, coming and going as he pleased. Amelia often spent time with her father, training to rule the country one day. But Gourry was always with her, content on roaming the country side and taking whatever jobs that pleased them. In fact, it was hard to imagine the past years without him by her side.

Lina pulled away, not liking the direction that her thoughts were taking. Especially not liking the direction considering she was wearing nothing but a blanket around her shoulders. She rubbed her eyes, getting rid of the tears that threatened to fall.

Gourry just watched her.

"I'm not crying," she said causing him to smile.

"I never said that you were."

Lina gave him the best glare that she could in her current condition, before laying back down. Even that brief movement caused pain to shot through her body once again. A groan escaped from her lips as she settled into the mat. The blanket was still wrapped around her shoulders. It stayed over her breasts but she could feel the cool air on her stomach. Before Lina could move to pull the blankets at her waist back up, Gourry had beaten her to it.

"Thanks," she mumbled closing her eyes. Even though she had just woken up, all she wanted to do was go back to sleep.

"I'll just leave you then," Gourry said. She felt him shift to get back onto his feet. Lina reached out her arm and placed it on what she could only assume was his leg.

"Don't," she whispered, turning her head towards him and opening her eyes. Lina would have never considered herself a people person, but right now, she couldn't think of anything more horrible then being alone. The darkness that she remembered crawling along her skin threatened to come back. Just the thought of it made her cold. Whatever Xelloss had done to her, she still wasn't recovered. "Please stay."

Gourry watched her for a moment before settling back down next to her. He leaned his back against the wall and stretched his legs out.

Relief road over her in waves now that the threat of being alone vanished. Lina closed her eyes and let sleep wash over her. It didn't even occur to her that as she drifted off, her hand was still resting on him.

* * *

"Succhii has yet to return," Malachi's voice permeated the air.

The words rang through Kagura's ears. Although she stood out in the hall, practically pressed against the wall and out of Naraku's eye sight, she could still feel his eyes burning into her. Malachi's back was all that she could see as he faced Naraku. To say that Malachi stood still was an understatement. His head barely tilted towards Naraku almost daring him to respond. The Mazoku's arm moved as he tossed something into the room. It glittered making Kagura assume that it was the jewel shards that they had captured earlier. Her ears barely picked out movement of fabric as Naraku caught the pieces.

Kagura could practical picture what was running through his mind. If it was any other one of his minions that had gone missing or even died today, then he would have considered this mission a complete success. Hell, even the loss of her would have appeased him more. But this was one of _his _Mazoku. Unlike Kagura, Succhii had fit perfectly into his plans. He was a loyal follower right after Malachi. Malachi was the one who had searched Naraku out, and Succhii had been brought to him soon after.

"He was to be part of my cabinet after my ascension," Naraku almost growled out.

"There are others who are willing to take his place," Malachi said stepping further into the room and out of her sight. "Others who will do anything to serve you when you come to power."

"There had better be," Naraku responded. "What happened? I was under the assumption that this would only be a simple errand for you two and Kagura. Speaking of the witch, where is she?"

Aw fuck.

"Here my Lord," Kagura tried to smile as she stepped out into the doorway and around Malachi. Naraku echoed her smile, but there was no mirth in it. She fought the urge to take a step back which would be an admittance of failure. No, she would stand tall and proud. There would be no escaping the pain that would soon be upon her. She knew that she was in trouble; knew that she was going to be punished for the failure. But she would keep her head held high and proud, not giving Naraku the satisfaction of seeing her fall.

"How nice of you to join us," he drawled.

"Pleasure's all mine," she responded.

"Now, tell me what happened," he demanded turning back to Malachi. "I'm very curious how one of the Upper Kindred was defeated by Inuyasha and him merry band of misfits."

Malachi did most of the talking. He explained that they had destroyed the wolf's clan and delivered the message to Kagome. They had left Succhii there for a little fun. He never came back. Kagura didn't have much of anything important to add. All she spoke of was being chased by Kagome and the girl named Amelia.

"Did Lina kill him?" Naraku asked. Considering everything that was said about the girl, it was a likely conclusion.

"I doubt it," Malachi responded. "Lina Inverse is good, but Succhii was also good. If he was dead, I would have found his body by now."

"So he deserted?" Kagura asked.

Malachi gave her an blank look out of the corner of his eye. It was a look that definitely made her feel stupid for asking the question.

"Hardly," he sneered out. "It's more likely that he was captured by someone who was powerful enough to hold him."

Kagura tried to hide her surprise at Malachi's words. This was the first that she had heard this. Why the hell wouldn't hell tell her that little tidbit instead of leaving her out and making her look like a fool?

"Who?" Naraku asked. Kagura tensed up, she knew that Naraku appreciated being left in the dark about as much as she did. He was often more violent about it too.

"Xelloss, the Beastmaster," Malachi frowned. Kagura hadn't heard the name before. She shot a quick glance at Naraku but his face revealed nothing. "He has a habit of showing up when Lina is involved. Not to mention that he is exactly the type the Demon Lords would send to take care of you."

"Will he be a problem?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Malachi replied. "He has the habit of sticking his nose into other people's business."

"Why wouldn't we have seen him with that bird of yours - Iris?" Kagura asked smirking with what she felt was an obvious flaw in Malachi's thinking.

"Because he has either not made contact with them yet, or has found a way to get around being observed by that bird," Malachi replied sounding very sure of himself.

Kagura fidgeted in the silence that was left by Malachi's statement. She didn't dare say anything to contradict what the Mazoku was saying. Especially not when Naraku looked like he was taking what Malachi was saying into consideration. It was obvious that the two were in deep thought as to how to counter-act this new development. Interrupting would only cause her more pain then that which was already promised.

"If you allow me to do some creative bargaining," Malachi finally said. "Then I can find just the one to take care of Xelloss."

"And what type of bargaining would that be?" Naraku asked.

"Either the book or the jewel after both have served their purposes. No Mazoku of enough power will take on Xelloss without either being offered in payment. They are sought after prizes in our world. Keeping both would be preferable, however we can part with one if we must."

Naraku went silent, considering what Malachi had said. Kagura crossed her arms and tried not to frown. It was so irritating that he would take that stupid monster's word for everything! Hell she was even made from a part of him and he still considered her to low to ever take her opinion into account. How the hell had that Mazoku wormed his way in? Kagura didn't understand and it was pissing her off. All of the years that she had served the man's every whim, groveled at his feet and took his torture had counted for nothing!

She had always been at the bottom. But back then, there really hadn't been anybody who would dare say that they held Naraku's ear. It was one solid matter in her life. If Naraku hated everyone, treated everyone like unworthy scum, then there was no one who she could compare her failure to. Which was what it was, failure. She had failed to impress him the first time and he'd cast her aside. Kagura wouldn't say that she was fine with it, but everyone was worthless in his eyes.

But not Malachi.

Oh no. He could do no wrong. He showed up out of the blue promising to help Naraku achieve what he sought after for so long and everything changed. Just showed up with that stupid lute on his back and practically charmed Naraku off of his feet. Malachi was useful. And her, well now she was an even bigger letdown then before. Kagura was barely even a means to an end. Her entire life she had lived in servitude to the man and it wasn't good enough. She was never good enough. She hated him, both of them, for writing her off so easily.

"Leave us Kagura," her head snapped up and out of thought. "Malachi and I have plans to discuss and you are not needed here."

Kagura growled out a 'yes my Lord' before walking out of the room. She tried to leave gracefully and with pride but knew that she failed before she even took her first step. There was no direction to her barely controlled stomping. She just walked until she reached one of the various doors that lead outside of the castle and stepped through. The night was clear and slightly chilled against her skin. Sighing she leaned against the one of the walls and looked out into the starry night sky.

Kagura was not useless.

Hell, she had managed to stay alive despite Inuyasha and his stupid friends; many others had not been so lucky. And yet, he still treated her like dirt. On top of that, she knew that it was not going to change anytime soon either. No, he would rise into one of the Upper Kindred and then she would stay right where she was.

If Kagura was lucky, she might even be able to clean Naraku's castle.

More than likely she wouldn't even live through Naraku's ascension.

Her days were numbered. There was no place for her in Naraku's new kingdom. There wasn't even a place for her in the one now. She only stayed out of fear. Fear that he could end her life at anytime he felt with barely a twitch of his hand. Fear that one day he would want back that little piece of his soul that gave her life and take it away from her. It was fear, plain and simple that kept her here.

But now she could see her end. Apparently her life consisted of a very short tunnel and the end light was in sight.

As Kagura stared up at the night sky, she realized she didn't want to go. She did not want to die when she had never really lived in the first place. Perhaps it was the desperation, the fact that she knew that once Naraku ascended he would not need her anymore. Kagura truly felt alone. But it was that night that she came to the conclusion that she was ready to do anything to continue on living.

Anything.


	14. Realizations

**A/N: I know....it's been a long time. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things with writing. I hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks to all of you for reading!**

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

**

* * *

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The Lesser Kindred

Chapter 13: Realizations

* * *

Kagome couldn't sleep - but then again, she was not the only one in this predicament. Lost in her thoughts, she sat around the fire poking aimlessly at it with a stick. Needless to say, today was probably the worst day of her life. She had lost Kouga and that alone was enough to leave her in tears. Unfortunately, it had just gotten worse from there.

Kagome had made it through dinner tear free, but with the silence that had followed Lina and Xelloss' exit, she couldn't hold back anymore. She had softly excused herself and made her way outside. All she had wanted was some peace and quiet. Feeling claustrophobic, she had to get away from the others; too bad Inuyasha had decided to follow her.

He had found her sitting outside underneath one of the many trees crying. She had been crying for the loss of her friend, and over the helplessness she felt in the following fight. Her and Amelia had let Kagura escape, and then she had returned to a wounded Inuyasha. Kagome had known, deep in her stomach that even if she had been there during that fight, she would have been no help. It was frustrating. Kagome hated feeling useless.

It had been in this state of mind that Inuyasha had found her. Of course, he hadn't understood as to why she was upset. _Stop your fucking whining, _he had said. _What's done is done_. He hadn't seemed to understand her guilt for not being able to help. Nor he hadn't seemed to understand why she wanted to go back and honor her friend with a proper burial. He had just argued with her about her being stupid and stormed off into the night.

He hadn't even been around when Xelloss had come back with a limp Lina in his arms.

The fact of the matter was, today sucked. Really sucked.

Kouga.

It hurt just thinking his name.

She gave the fire a hard poke that shot sparks into the air. If they could have only arrived sooner then he would still be alive right now. They would have had the jewel shards and then Kouga would have never been in danger. Kagome should have _never_ let him keep the shards in the first place. She was the one who had put him in danger. Inuyasha had always insisted that they should just take them by force. Why hadn't Kagome listened?

If she had, then he would be safe right now. Sure, it would have hurt at the time, but it would have been worth the pain.

Anything would have been better then this.

Then, to make matters worse, she had almost lost Inuyasha. Of course he hadn't seen it that way, and it was another thing that they had argued about earlier. Kagome didn't know what she would have done if he hadn't made it. Hell, she didn't even want to think of it. Just the thought made her stomach churn. If it hadn't been for Amelia's talent with healing and the guidance that she had given, then Kagome would have lost him as well.

Kagome looked away from the fire and towards Amelia. She was currently snoozing against Zelgadis' shoulder. While the man had looked annoyed at first, it quickly settled into acceptance that she wasn't going to move. Kagome's gaze drifted to Miroku who sat next to her in quiet conversation with Zelgadis. Sango had taken Shippo with her to bed ages ago. The little demon had put up quite a fight in an effort hang out with the 'big kids' before falling asleep in Kagome's lap. Kagome was grateful that the kid was gone; while Shippo was practically a son to her, everyone needed their alone time every once in awhile.

Amelia snorted a mini snore and shifted her weight. The movement caused her to slide off of Zel's shoulder and onto the ground; more importantly onto the rock that was behind Zelgadis. Her head hit with a jarring smack causing her leap in pain.

"Aw!" she said sitting up grasping her head. "Ouch ouch ouch!"

"Well that's what you get falling asleep on my shoulder," Zel replied with a slight smile.

"I was not asleep," she defiantly replied only to turn to Kagome and whispered. "Was I?"

"Um, yeah you were," Kagome answered.

Amelia frowned and continued to rub her head.

They sat in silence a few more seconds and Kagome began poking the fire with renewed force.

It was Miroku who spoke broke the silence.

"Will Lina be okay?" he asked. It was a topic that had been avoided for most of the night. Kagome looked up from her poking and at Zel.

While no one had said that the subject was taboo, it seemed like it wasn't something that anyone wanted to talk about. Xelloss had returned hours later after dinner with Lina in his arms. Gourry and Zelgadis had rushed over instantly. It had only taken a second for Gourry to take her from Xelloss.

From that point on, things had escalated.

As soon as she had left Xelloss' arms, Lina began convulsing. At the same time that Lina had begun her convulsions, Zelgadis had been busy punching Xelloss in the face. It had to hurt considering that the man was part rock.

Gourry had called for Amelia and Zelgadis seconds after he had taken Lina. Amelia had been there in an instant running her hands on the girl. Zelgadis had given Xelloss a murderous glare (after the initial punch) before rushing to Lina side. Kagome had a feeling that if Lina's condition hadn't been so serious, there would have been quite the fight between the two. Kagome wasn't quite sure what had happened to Xelloss after that, he seemed to disappear amongst all of the chaos.

And chaos it had been for at least the next hour.

Kagome had no idea as to what the priest had done to Lina. But whatever it had been, had not been good. They hadn't even bothered relocating to the inside of Kaede's hut. Instead, they had just laid Lina down on the grass and crouched over her. Zelgadis and Amelia had talked rapidly over what exactly had been done to Lina and how to fix it. The spell work had been too complicated and theories too advanced for Kagome to understand. Some sort of conclusion had been made and Amelia and Zelgadis spent the next half hour casting.

During that time Lina had only gotten worse, or at least that's what it had looked like to Kagome. She had gone from convulsing to screaming and flailing. While Kagome hadn't been sure of spells they were casting, the intent of the spells was obvious. Dark energy had begun to pour out of Lina. It had filled up the air around them and had choked Kagome's senses. Kagome had to hold back the bile that had threatened to come up her throat. Thinking back on it, she had no idea as to how Lina survived being consumed with so much evil.

There had been a point that Lina had to be held down by Gourry. He had practically pleaded with her to calm down. He had reassured her time after time that everything would be okay even though it was obvious that she couldn't hear him.

It wasn't until Amelia and Zelgadis seemed assured that the red head would be fine that they moved her inside.

"She'll be fine," Zelgadis replied breaking Kagome out of her thoughts.

"Yeah," remarked Amelia. "She's strong like that. You should have seen her after she beat Hellmaster. She had problems doing magic for at least two weeks. She was so exhausted that she made Gourry do everything. After three weeks he finally started refusing to help Lina anymore. She was so angry that she started shooting flare arrows at him. It was kind of obvious by that point she was faking."

"Wait just a minute," Miroku said leaning forward. "Lina defeated Hellmaster? The Hellmaster - the one who created the barrier that separated the lands?"

"Who's Hellmaster?" Kagome asked Miroku.

"He's one of the nine demon lords. I've heard the names but I don't know much about them beyond the legends," Miroku said before turning to Zelgadis obviously expecting more of an explanation.

"Amelia," Zel sighed.

"What?" she replied with a confused look on her face.

"I thought that _that_ fact was going to remain a secret," he glared at her. "I had _thought _that we had agreed to not complicate matters."

"Oh," Amelia said deflating a little. "Sorry, I had forgotten about that."

"So, it's true? She fought one of the nine demon Lords of Shabranigdu?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, it's true," Zel smiled. "She fought and won I might mention."

"Amazing," Miroku replied.

"Now just hold on a minute," Kagome huffed. "No one has explained yet why defeating this guy was so amazing. And who's Shabranigdu? Lina had mentioned him earlier as well."

Kagome remembered that Lina had said his name during the conversation with Xelloss earlier. Unfortunately, so much of that conversation had been over her head that there was no point in asking questions at that time. Kagome had told herself to leave the questions unanswered for now and then she'd ask Amelia to explain it later.

"That's right," Miroku said turning to her. "I forgot that although you spend most of you time here with us, you're not from here. We've been so busy dealing with Naraku that there was really no time, or any reason to get into our history. Shabranigdu is said to be the Lord of all Demons."

"That's not true," Zelgadis interrupted. "All Mazoku are ruled by the Lord of Nightmares, even Shabranigdu."

"Really?" Miroku frowned. "I hadn't heard of him."

Kagome watched as Zelgadis searched around the campfire for something. He grabbed a sturdy stick that was lying not to far away.

"I won't call it a him. The Lord of Nightmares doesn't have a tangible form. Instead think of it more like a massive cloud of energy," Zelgadis scribbled a small design into the dirt. Kagome moved closer to him in order to see what it was. It looked like a star with some lines scratched across it. Reaching down from it he drew four more lines stemming outwards. "Now The Lord of Nightmares has four Mazoku that serve it. Ruby Eye Shabranigdu is its main hand in our dimension or realm. The other three are Chaotic Blue, Dark Star and Death Fog however they do not live on our plain of existence." Zelgadis drew four more symbols representing the demons he just spoke of. "A long time ago Shabranigdu was defeated by the Dragon King Ceiphied and spilt into seven parts and scattered around the world." He looked up at Kagome. "Follow me so far?"

"Yep," she replied staring at the names he had scribbled into the dirt with the corresponding lines. Kagome had a feeling that it was a lot more complicated then that but Zelgadis was keeping it at the bare minimum so she could follow along easier.

"Now Shabranigdu has main minions that he created as his servants. These are Deep-Sea Dolphin, Dynast Grauscherra, Greater Beast Zelas-Metallium, Chaos Dragon Gaav, and Hellmaster Fibrizo. While Shabranigdu might not be active in our world any longer due to his parts being sealed away, most of his subordinates are. All other Mazoku, including the ones that we fought earlier today, are spawned for these six."

Kagome nodded. "Even Xelloss?"

"Xelloss works for Zelas-Metallium," Zelgadis replied. "In fact, from what I hear, he's her right hand man."

"And Lina beat one of these Lesser Lords or whatever they're called?" Kagome asked.

"She defeated Hellmaster."

"Which must have been what caused the barrier to go down two years ago," Miroku said clearly in thought. "What was she, like eleven at the time?"

Zelgadis snorted as Amelia broke out into laugher.

Kagome looked at Miroku and shrugged. She wasn't sure what was so funny. Kagome had thought that Lina was only thirteen, maybe fifteen at the most. She thought that there was a chance that Lina was older then she looked, but wasn't sure by just how much.

"I'm sorry but that's kind of scary," Amelia said. "I don't even want to image an eleven year old Lina Inverse. I bet she threw even bigger temper tantrums then she does now."

"I bet," Zelgadis muttered back looking just as taken back.

"So how old is Lina?" Kagome asked.

"Oh lets see," Zelgadis said. "I met her when she was fifteen and that was about four almost five years ago. I'm guessing nineteen."

"Huh," Kagome said genuinely surprised by his answer. "That's older then I would have thought."

"How disappointing," Miroku said. "To be a woman but still have breasts so small."

"Miroku!" Kagome swatted him. It had nowhere near the effect that Sango usually had. He rubbed at his arm anyway and gave her an innocent look. Kagome glared back, he was so not fooling her by pretending innocence.

"So," Kagome said not wanting to continue the conversation that Miroku was directing it. "If Lina defeated Hellmaster, then Naraku won't be much of a problem, right?"

"It depends," Zelgadis replied. "I'm not going to lie, defeating Hellmaster was not easy. In fact, she used some heavy magic that no sane person would ever touch. There are other spells that if used correctly might do the trick, but it will still be difficult. While Naraku is nowhere near as powerful as any Mazoku, he does have at least two of them working with him. Killing Mazoku is never easy."

"What about Xelloss?" Kagome asked. "Would he help?"

"Yeah right," Zelgadis snorted sarcastically. "If something is in it for him, then there is a slight chance, a very slight chance that he will. He prefers though, to have someone else do his dirty work for him."

"Although," Amelia piped in. "He has helped before."

"Only because he was ordered to," Zelgadis sternly replied. "But that does not make him in ally in any sense of the word."

Kagome wanted to ask more questions, but Zelgadis looked like he was done talking about the subject for the night. Kagome turned to Amelia. Now she would talk some more about the subject, Kagome was sure of it. In fact, Kagome had the suspicion that Amelia would also give always those little details that Zelgadis was obviously hiding.

Kagome tried not to smile too widely as a plan formed in her mind.

"Well," Kagome said as she stood up and gave a stretch. "I think I'm going to head to bed. You want to come with me Amelia?"

The girl looked like she was half asleep despite the talk they had earlier. The loud yawn that escaped her mouth only confirmed that she was far beyond ready for bed.

"Yeah," she said almost struggling to get to her feet. "Warm camp fires always make me sleepy."

Amelia followed Kagome towards the house. They entered as quietly as they could; Kagome didn't want Shippo coming awake. It didn't seem to matter where the kid was, whenever he heard the front door open, he would be there in seconds - he was sort of like a puppy in that way.

Even though the small front room was dark, there was still enough light for her to look around and see that it was empty. Sango and Shippo must be in the main bedroom with Kaede. There were two mats laid out on the floor with some blankets folded neatly on the edges of both of them. The next time she saw Sango and Kaede, she was going to hug them. It was nice that they would take the time to set it up for her when she's had such a crappy day.

Kagome walked to the corner of the room where she had put her bag earlier. She pulled out her blue nightgown and quickly removed her school uniform. After living in the feudal era, nudity in front of other girls became almost like a standard.

Amelia took the time to change as well.

"That must have been some fight," Kagome said sitting down onto one of the mats. She briefly considered sharing with Amelia, but quickly decided that the boys could just sleep outside or on the floor. "Between Lina and Hellmaster." She tried to say it casually so hopefully Amelia wouldn't consider her trying to snoop. Even though, she completely was trying to.

"Yeah, it was," Amelia said settling down on the mat to Kagome's right. "And I wasn't even awake for most of it."

"What happened?"

"Well," Amelia paused to pull up her blankets. "Hellmaster had kidnapped Gourry in order to lure Lina to him. We chased them and ended up in a cursed city that was filled with his walking dead zombies. It was horrible. They were people who we had meet before, but had died a year ago when the city was destroyed."

"I can imagine," Kagome almost shuttered just thinking about it. She couldn't image meeting people she knew as zombies - especially not after what had happened today.

"Hellmaster wanted Lina to do something that only she could do for him," Amelia said then frowned.

"What was it?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know," Amelia answered. "Not for sure anyway. I mean I have an idea but haven't really worked up the nerve to ask Lina. I was unconscious for most of the fight and Lina never told us afterward. I think Zelgadis knows though, but I don't think I'd like the answer."

Amelia took the moment to pull the blankets over her and lie down. She put her arms behind her head and stared at the ceiling. Kagome was practically itching to hear more, but she could wait for Amelia to start talking again. The answers were too important for Kagome to try to rush the subject.

Kagome glanced at Amelia who looked as though she was lost in her thoughts of the past. She was clearly remembering the event and from the look on her face, Kagome could tell that it had not been pleasant memories. Kagome used the moment to get settled into bed as well.

It was a few minutes before Amelia spoke again.

"When I came to, Lina was possessed by The Lord of Nightmares," Amelia said. "She must have cast the Giga Slave which is one of the most powerful spell in black magic. While most black magic draws energy from Mazoku Lords or Shabranigdu, the Giga Slave is one of the few spells that draws power directly from the source - The Lord of Nightmares. It's a very dangerous spell and it's said that if it goes out of control, it has the power to destroy all life."

Kagome chewed lightly on her lip. Whether or not what Amelia said was true, she really didn't like the fact that Lina might have the power to do something that dangerous. What really scared Kagome though was the fact that Lina used a spell like that despite the consequences. No wonder Amelia didn't want to ask Lina about what exactly happened on that day. Kagome wasn't sure if she even wanted to know the truth either.

"In the end, Hellmaster was killed," continued Amelia. "But the Lord of Nightmares didn't want to give Lina up, apparently she was the price for the power."

"Then how -"

"Gourry followed after them. The Lord of Nightmares tried to leave while still in Lina's body." Amelia answered Kagome's unasked question. "Zelgadis and I tried to follow too but we couldn't go with. For some reason though Gourry could and he brought her back to us."

Kagome remained silent letting the story sink into her mind.

"Wow," Kagome let out a long breath after a few minutes. "I suppose that means she's not Zelgadis' apprentice."

"Nope," Amelia replied.

Kagome flopped over to her back as she thought about what Amelia had just told her. Was Lina really that powerful? It seemed so far fetched but Kagome wouldn't doubt Amelia for a second. In the short time that they'd traveled together, Kagome had gotten to know Amelia enough to know that she wouldn't lie about something like this. In fact, the girl seemed concerned so much about truth and justice that it reached levels that could be considered unhealthy. No, there was no way that Amelia would be lying to her about this. This was way too important. The look on Amelia's face was enough to tell her that.

Lina was probably one of the most powerful people that she had ever met.

Kagome wasn't sure if she should be worried or comforted by that thought. On one hand, it would seem that it should make their fight against Naraku much easier. At the same time, it might make their fight against Naraku more difficult.

"Amelia, is what happened to Hellmaster well known?" Kagome asked.

"Yes and no," she answered. "It's known that he died considering that the barrier is down, but only a few people know it was Lina who killed him. With Mazoku though, it's a different story. What happened to Hellmaster was a huge shake up and most of the Monster Lords made it their business to find out what happened and pass it on."

"Oh," Kagome replied. If Mazoku knew that it was Lina who killed Hellmaster, then it was a good chance that the Mazoku that Naraku hired knew that as well. That would make their fight against Naraku more difficult. No doubt they would be calling favors or hiring assassins or something in order to deal with the fact that now they have to fight Lina.

In the long run, the thought that Lina was rather powerful did not comfort Kagome one bit.

* * *

Despite going to bed late the night before, Kagome was up early the next morning. She woke just as the sun was coming up over the horizon. She quietly folded her blankets back up and crept to the door. Amelia was still sound asleep as Kagome walked passed. There was no one else in the room, which meant that Zel and Miroku must have spent the night under the stars.

What Kagome really hoped to do this morning was to take a long bath. A long hot bath actually, and there was only one place where she could get that. At home.

She grabbed her bag as she went out the door. Perhaps she could get some of her mother's delicious cooking too while she was at it. Unfortunately, she would have to be careful so that the new additions of their group wouldn't be too suspicious.

She lightly tapped Miroku as she passed. He had fallen asleep in front of the fire pit on top of a sleeping bag that Kagome had brought back with her from one of her trips home. He woke with a slight jerk.

"Shhh," she hushed as he came awake. Gesturing to the still asleep Zelgadis, she tried to convey the fact that she didn't want him to wake up.

Miroku nodded seeming to get what she was trying to say.

"I'm heading home for the morning," she whispered. "I'll try to be back by noon. Can you cover for me?"

"Of course," he replied. "Don't worry, I'll think of an excuse for you."

Kagome practically tip toed her way into the forest and to the well. While she trusted Miroku to cover for her, she wasn't entirely confident that she'd like the reason he'll make up for her absence. But Kagome needed this. She really needed some time to process everything that had happened this past month. With her powers growing and the final showdown on the coming up soon, she need some time to think.

Unfortunately, her mind kept going to the one subject that she didn't want to think about.

Kouga.

Damn it! She would not cry!

Kagome had done enough crying yesterday about his death! She didn't have any more time to cry about the subject. And just thinking about that made her think about Inuyasha and their fight last night.

Oh, you bet that she was still mad at him about that.

How dare he insinuate that she shouldn't care that Kouga died!

About half way to the well, her quite foot falls turned into loud stomping.

"If you're trying to sneak back home," a voice came from above, "you're going to have to do better then that."

Aw, just that idiot that she was thinking about. Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha standing in a tree above her. Arms crossed in front and looking rather annoyed at her actions.

The look he was giving her only pissed her off even more. He had no right to look at her like that. Especially since he had been gone all night without a word to anyone where he was going! What a jerk!

"Hmfph," Kagome huffed rather loudly and continued to walk forward.

"Running away?"

"I am not running away!" She stopped and turned. Inuyasha had jumped down to the ground so that he was now on the same level as she was. Good, that just made him easier to hit. "For your information I'm at least a week over due for checking back in! My parent's are probably worried sick! Not to mention that it's been a really bad week and I would like a morning to myself to process it all! Is that too much to ask?!"

Kagome didn't wait for his answer. Instead she turned around and stomped away. She didn't want to talk to him. If he didn't want to admit that he was being a jerk, then why should she even give him the time of day? And to think, she was worried that he was dieing yesterday! Of all of the stupid things to worry about.

"You're acting like a fucking brat Kagome," Inuyasha said from behind her. Kagome was not going to dignify that with a response. Oh, she knew that he was following her, but that does not mean that she would acknowledge his presence. She continued walking on, not even looking back once the entire way to the well.

"Don't even think about following me home!" she yelled at him as she jumped in. It was useless, she knew it was useless. He would follow her, he always did.

Kagome climbed up the other side and stomped all the way to her house. She was finally starting to calm down by the time she opened the front door. The house was still quiet, so she made as little noise as possible as she headed up the stairs to her bedroom.

The first thing she did in her room was lock her window. She did not need Inuyasha interrupting her peaceful bath time!

Kagome walked into her adjacent bathroom and smiled as she forced herself to take a deep breath. It was good to be home no matter what the circumstance were. She didn't mind bathing in lakes and streams, but nothing beat her beautiful claw-foot tub that was almost big enough for two people. Her mother had wanted to replace it with a newer model, but Kagome refused. She liked to have a lot of space when she bathed, and didn't mind that fact that if she wanted to shower, she would have to go to the bathroom on the first level. Turning on the hot water, she fiddled with the knobs until the water was the right temperature before peeling off her cloths. Although she had washed very thoroughly yesterday, she still felt like she was covered in grim and blood. It was not a good feeling. Just thinking about it made her want to puke.

Dumping in slightly more bubble bath then what was needed, she watched as the water foamed up. Slowly she climbed in reveling in how the water warmed up her chilled body. She filled the tub up until the water was almost to the brim, and then used her feet to turn off the dials at the other end. It was a skill that she had mastered long ago. She then sunk down until it was only her head above water. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and relaxed.

At least she was relaxing until she heard the distinctive sound of the bathroom door hinges creaking open. She opened her eyes and turned her head to see Inuyasha standing in her bathroom doorway.

"Inuyasha! I thought I told you not to follow me," she hissed, the small bit of relaxation and contentment that she had managed to obtain left her completely. "Get out!"

Kagome was relieved that she had filled the bath with more bubbles then what was needed.

"No way," Inuyasha replied. He glared at her in a manner that stated if she wanted him to leave, she would have to get up and force him out herself.

Kagome though, was not one to be out done. She returned the look with so much ferocity that he tensed for the smallest of moments.

The idiot didn't leave though.

"Fine then," Kagome huffed. "I'm trying to enjoy my bath. Could you at least close the door and wait until after I'm done to bother me? You practically ran off as quickly as you could last night, so I highly doubt that there's anything important that can't wait another twenty minutes."

"Don't you even want to know where I went?" Inuyasha replied after a long moment of silence.

"Off to sulk?"

"No you idiot," Inuyasha shot back. "You couldn't stop blaming yourself for what happened - _which is fucking stupid and pointless _- and you couldn't seem to get the retarded notion out of your head of going back to bury Kouga - _despite the fact that it could be dangerous and not to mention probably the stupidest idea you've had in a long time _- and it was driving me crazy!"

"Oh that's right," Kagome exasperated. "I drive you crazy."

"Would you just listen?" Inuyasha sneered. "I couldn't have you risking your fool neck or the jewel shards doing something so pointless and stupid so I went and did it myself!"

"Of course you care about the jewel shards, can't have them getting away! I mean - wait what?" Kagome stopped as what Inuyasha said sunk into her brain. He said that he went and did it himself. No way, there's no way that he went all the way back there and buried Kouga.

"Well I didn't actually bury him," Inuyasha mumbled. "I figured that he'd think it was a rather lame way to be put to rest, so I disintegrated him with my wind scar and let him scatter into the night. I figured the stupid mutt would rather have it that way."

Kagome just stared rather blankly at him as her brain got up to speed on events. Inuyasha didn't seem to like the quiet.

"Oh come on Kagome," he sighed. "I couldn't let you go. Just seeing the battlefield would get you all upset again and then you would cry and I just didn't want to deal with that. I mean give me a fucking break here."

"Thank you Inuyasha," she quietly said. She was at a loss for anything else to say. He rarely, if ever did anything this insightful and Kagome wasn't quite sure how to take it.

"Like I said," Inuyasha replied. "I couldn't have you risking you neck over something so stupid."

"It's not something stupid," Kagome half-heartedly replied. The anger that she had felt minutes before had completely dissipated now that she knew that Inuyasha cared in his own way. "He was a friend, and now he's gone because of me."

"Just give it a rest," Inuyasha walked further into the bathroom. He paused in front of the chair that sat in the corner behind her head and hastily tossed the bubble bath and shampoo that she usually kept on it to the floor. He moved it into the center of the room and sat down. "It's not your fault. Kouga knew damn well the dangers of keeping the jewel shards."

"I should have listened to you," she insisted. "We should have taken the shards away from him the first chance that we got."

"Damn right we should have," Inuyasha said. "But that does not mean that you are to blame for Kouga's death. You did _not _kill him. Naraku did, end of story so I don't want you to sulk about it anymore."

Kagome tried to sink even lower into the water. She knew that Inuyasha was trying to help her feel better, but his words couldn't stop the lingering doubts that kept forming in her mind.

"You know damn well that if we had taken the shards away from Kouga," Inuyasha continued, "he would have fought long and hard for them. Hell, the fucking guy probably would have died for them rather then have his pride damaged. He would have never given them to us willingly. No matter how fucking much you talked and begged the guy, it would have never worked."

Inuyasha was right, but that didn't make her feel any better about it. She glanced over at him to see that he had flipped the chair around straddling it with his arms crossed over the back. It was a wooden green chair that her mother had painted flowers on a few summers ago when she was going threw her 'crafty' stage. Mom had also made birdhouses and Christmas wreathes that year.

Part of her wanted to yell at him for not leaving the room earlier. At least then she would be back in normal territory instead of this. But she just couldn't seem to get the words out of her mouth. The times when Inuyasha actually seemed to care about something were few and far between; especially when that something was her. It didn't seem to matter that underneath the water and the bubbles she was naked.

"How did you get in here anyway?" she asked after the silence had stretched to minutes and he still showed no intention of leaving anytime soon. "I thought I locked my window."

"You did," he smiled. "But you had forgotten to lock the front door when you stormed inside."

"Oh." How could she forget do something as mundane as that? After all, it was one of those things that had kind of been ingrained in her since grade school.

"No more sulking," Inuyasha said. "Okay?"

Kagome nodded, not quite trusting her voice. She watched as Inuyasha leaned over to the side and pickup one of the many bottles he had flung off of the chair. He flicked it open and gave it a tentative sniff.

"Hmm," he half muttered under his breath.

"What?" Kagome asked not quite sure what his fascination was with her shampoo.

"Is this why you always smell like strawberries?" he asked still looking at the bottle.

"Um, I guess," Kagome frowned to herself. "It's just my shampoo, you know for washing my hair."

She caught herself before she made a rude comment about his lack of bathing - considering it wasn't necessarily true. She new for a fact that Inuyasha bathed, just soap was often hard to come by in the feudal era and he would always get affronted when she offered him some from her home.

"Speaking of which," she said sitting up while simultaneously making sure that she was still thoroughly covered by bubbles. "Can I have it? I've probably been in here long enough and the water will get cold soon."

Inuyasha uncurled himself from around the chair and moved it back to the corned he had originally gotten it from. She held out her hand, expecting him to give her the bottle but instead heard him sit back down. Kagome had to crank her neck around in order for her to see what exactly he was doing. Inuyasha was sitting in the chair almost exactly like he had been before. His red over-shirt sat on the tile floor next to him as he dug around in a basket that used to be on the chair. He pulled out one of her black hair bands and fashioned his hair into a loose ponytail.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked rather alarmed. She was used to his weird behavior every once in awhile but this was beyond normal.

"Shut up and turn back around," he snapped, with a little less force then what was normally in his voice. Kagome didn't though and continued to stare at him. He fidgeted before letting out a loud huff. "Fine. If you must know, whenever I had fucking awful day - and I used to have a lot of them - my mother used to wash my hair for me. And then, it must be some universal female thing because Kikyo did it a couple times too."

Kagome was sure that her face went about ten shades redder then what it should have been. She quickly turned around not sure what to think about what he just said. It wouldn't due well to yell at him about bringing up Kikyo when she was the one who had asked. Not like it mattered though, she was mad anyway. Stupid Kikyo always had to be brought up in the worst moments. It's not like she wanted to know what kinky crap the two of them did together. Urgh, just thinking about it made her want to slug him.

"I just thought that you might like it as well," Inuyasha said rather weakly. He must have noticed her abrupt reaction and didn't like it. The next words came out rather forcefully. "But hell, what the fuck do I know? Here I am trying to be a nice guy and shit -"

"Be quiet Inuyasha," Kagome interjected as she heard him moving to get up. "And sit back down."

Kagome wasn't sure if he was going to do it. Things were going so well too until she had to open her big mouth. Seconds stretched out and Kagome was pretty sure that he was going to leave. It came as a surprise when a hand came splashed into the water and another one slid into her hair.

She involuntarily tensed up at the touch.

The hand that she could see scooped up water and she could feel it trickle onto her head.

Kagome forced herself to take deep breaths. While she had no idea what type of jester this was for Inuyasha, it was definitely a very personal one for Kagome. But Inuyasha just kept wetting her hair one agonizing slow moment at a time. She was half tempted to tell him to stop; cause considering how fast her heart was beating right now, she was certain that this meant more to her then it did to him.

There was movement as Inuyasha got up. He crossed the short distance to the sink and picked up the glass that was sitting on the rim before returning to his previous position. It was then, she realized that he was looking for a better way of wetting her hair. She was about to protest and say that this was stupid when Inuyasha silenced her.

"Jeez, can't you relax," he said.

Kagome didn't respond with words. Instead, she just closed her eyes and tried to let the warm water calm her nerves.

It wasn't long until the scent of strawberries filled her nose. The steady stream of water that was being dumped on her head stopped and Inuyasha's hands filled its void.

It felt wonderful.

His strong hands kneaded her scalp, messaging the shampoo in her hair. How he managed to accomplish this without shredding her skin with his claws was a mystery to her. It was just the right amount of pressure.

Kagome let out an unintentional moan. She didn't even realize that she had done it. When she was younger she had loved getting her hair cut because that meant someone else washing it. Just the feel of someone messaging her scalp was enough to practically put her to sleep. But this was different. This time it wasn't a stranger who was paid. No, this time it was one of the most important people in her world.

It took Kagome a long time to realize what Inuyasha meant to her. And, even when she finally had, it took her even longer to admit it to herself. But after a moment like this there was no denying that the feelings were there. She really did want something more from Inuyasha.

Every circular motion of his hands on her scalp and the tiny pulls of her hair that accompanied them made her surer of her feelings. The few dates that she had attempted to go on when she returned home from the feudal era were a waste of time. Those boys were nothing compared to the man that sat behind her now. They had been unsure and treated her like they thought she couldn't fend for herself. Sure, Inuyasha took his roll as her protector quite seriously, but he knew that she was no push over.

Inuyasha never shied away from her when they fought. He never treated her like she could break any moment and he sure as hell was there when she needed him the most. This morning was not the only instance. There had been others. Times where he'd say something so small that would cheer her up so greatly. Even times where he'd go out of his way to catch some fish because Kagome had commented earlier that she would like some for dinner that night.

It had always been little things. Things that had meant so much to her.

Warm water began to flow down her head and back again washing the shampoo away with it. The sound of the water splashing was the only noise in the room. Cup full after cup full he pored it on her head taking the time to message her scalp along with it. It seemed to take a lot longer then it should for him to rinse the shampoo out.

When his hand finally untangled from her hair, she couldn't help but wish that it wasn't over.

Kagome kept her eyes close, but she could hear him get up and move away from the chair. She was half tempted to start lecturing him about the importance of conditioner but stopped herself. Instead, she sat up straighter and opened her eyes. His back was to her and he was just about to shut the bathroom door behind him as he left.

"Thanks," she called after him causing him to halt and turn around.

He smiled softly back at her and after a moment replied. "No problem."

He stared at her a little longer. Kagome could see that words were at the tip of his tongue but he was having a hard time getting them out.

"I can hear your mom making breakfast downstairs," he settled on. "I'll let her know we're here. Hurry up before your brother eats it all."

With his last words he shut the door leaving Kagome alone with her thoughts. She let out a shaky sigh and picked up her luffa. Dimly, she noted that the water had lost almost all traces of the bubbles that were there when she had first gotten in. With that observation came the realization that Inuyasha had a full view of her naked body. Kagome wasn't sure if she should be mad, embarrassed or a little turned on. Grudgingly, she realized that it was the last emotion on the list that wouldn't stop running through her head.


	15. The Morning After

**A/N: **Hi Everyone! I hope you're enjoying the fic so far. There's some more magic theory in this chapter so if it doesn't make sense, please let me know...P.S. I'm so excited that new Slayers has been released and am working my through it now.

And, as always thanks for your reviews!

**Timeline: **

_The Slayers _takes place two years after Try. Lina is 19.

_Inuyasha_ takes place while Kagome is 17. She is still dividing her life between her present and the past. The group is still after Naraku.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _The Slayers_.

**

* * *

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The Lesser Kindred

Chapter 14: The Morning After

* * *

By the time that Lina Inverse opened her eyes again, sunlight was streaming through the curtains. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and snuggled further underneath them. Her body still hurt from the night before. In fact, she still felt exhausted even though she probably spent the last ten hours or so in a coma like state. Hell, she didn't even think that she would be able to get out of bed this morning. Besides the linger pain that would flash along her nerves every once in awhile, there was also the fact that she was nauseous. While her body felt like it went ten rounds with a dragon, her soul felt like it had been stretched too thin, chewed up and spit out.

The thought that her magic wasn't going to work for at least a few days settled into her head.

She scowled. Xelloss was such an ass. He could have maybe warned her or something about the lingering consequences. What happens if Naraku attacks next week and she can barely lift a finger? Didn't Xelloss think that maybe that would have been something important to mention?

As soon as she was at full power again she was so going to kick his ass.

No, scratch that. She was going to kill the little shit.

Lina rolled over onto her side and almost yelled at the sight of another person in bed with her. A second later, she realized that the lump underneath the blankets was Gourry. It was obvious considering how recognizable his golden hair was. His blue body armor lay not too far away piled in a lump in the corner. If Lina had to guess, she would say that he was sleeping in the white undershirt and his shorts that he wore underneath his blue outfit.

Through the pain and haze of the sluggish memories of last night, she vaguely remembered asking him to stay. She slightly smiled to herself; part of her didn't actually expect him to do it. But here he was, sleeping beside her. Now, any other morning if she had woken up to this she was sure she'd kick him out of the bed and yell at him for taking advantage of a sweet girl like her. This morning though, she just didn't have it in her (and there was a good chance that the mere movement would result in her puking up whatever was left in her stomach). Besides, the guy did stay all night like she asked.

Lina was half tempted to take a hint from Gourry and go back to sleep. Unfortunately, the sunlight streaming through the window was very bright and a good indicator that she had already slept through most of the morning. She groaned and flipped over to her back once again. If she was lucky, someone had already started breakfast or more like lunch. Her stomach churned a little at the thought. Perhaps food was not the best thing right now. Maybe she'll take a cue from Zelgadis and settle for a cup of tea only.

She shifted uncomfortably against the sheets trying to ignore another twinge of pain. At least these linger effects seemed to come in short spurts. If she's lucky, they might even go away completely sometime today. Lina tried not to frown as even herself scoffed at that idea.

She really was going to kill Xelloss.

After lying still for another few minutes, Lina decided that while she really wanted to lie in bed all day, which probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Gingerly, she sat up and was surprised how chilly the air was against her skin.

Her skin.

Lina froze as if her realization that she was naked would be enough to wake up Gourry. She let her gaze slowly creep over to him to see that he was still on his side with only his mane of hair facing her direction. On second thought, maybe she will give Gourry a good beating for crawling in bed with her.

Lina crept out of bed and softly as she could. Careful not to wake Gourry in the process and give him a full view of her almost naked body (as she moved, she realized that at least she was still wearing panties). Cause then, she would really have to hurt the guy and she wasn't sure if she was up to it this morning. Unfortunately, every move she made hurt and her cloths were nowhere to be seen.

Looking over to closet on the wall across from her, she took in the heap of red and white clothing. Hopefully, the nice Kaede lady won't mind Lina just borrowing one piece for the day.

Now that a new outfit had been chosen, all she had to do was get there. It was only about ten feet away - how hard could that be? Once off the mat, she stood up on her wobbly legs only to stagger into the weapons rack that was against the wall.

There was a loud clatter as the wooden swords knocked together. She bit her lips sure that Gourry had woken by that sound. There was a rustle of blankets from behind her. Lina turned her head expecting to see him sitting up and gaping at her. To her relief he had just flipped over onto his back.

Lina counted her blessings and continued forward, steadying herself on the wall as she moved on. Her legs slightly shook but she was not going to give up. Not when she was this close. After all, there was no way in hell she was going to ask Gourry to get one for her. That was an embarrassment that she could do without.

She grabbed one of the white kimonos only to have her legs go out from beneath her.

Lina couldn't help the yelp that came out of her mouth as she crashed to the ground taking the item of clothing with her. She laid still for a moment trying to catch her breath. A groan escaped her mouth as she realized just how much the fall hurt.

"Are you okay?" Damn it, and now Gourry was up as well. Isn't that just great.

Lina tilted her head back to see Gourry sitting up in bed looking concerned. His hair ruffled from sleep but still looking rather alert for just waking up. He seemed very careful at keeping his gaze locked on her face making Lina once again aware to the fact that she was wearing nearly nothing. His eyes flickered towards her chest and he pulled his lips together tightly. Lina reached for the white shirt that was sprawled haphazardly on top of her and adjusted it so it covered most of her, or at least her tits.

"Let me help," he said moving towards the end of the bed.

"No," Lina replied rather forcefully. "I can do it myself."

"Lina," he chided. "You could barely walk over there."

"And how do you know that?" she shot back.

Gourry's face reddened and Lina had a feeling that he had been awake the entire time. She opened her mouth to yell at him but he had already closed the distance between the two.

"Look," he said. "If you need to yell at me, can't it wait until you feel better? Cause right now, I think you need to concentrate your energy on more important things and take help when it's offered to you."

Damn Gourry for picking the most inopportune times to be insightful.

She huffed at him but turned her gaze the other way.

He stood up and pulled another one of the white tops out of the closet.

"Why am I practically naked?" Lina asked with bit of menace in her voice.

She could see Gourry flinch at her words. It was then that Lina became aware that she was still sprawled on the floor with Gourry almost standing over her in his light blue shorts and white shirt. Hmm, if she tilted her head the right way, she might even be able to see up those shorts.

Bad Lina! It was not the time to be thinking thoughts like that.

"Your cloths needed a good cleaning after last night," he said bringing Lina out of her inappropriate thoughts. He pulled the shirt off the hanger and Lina tried not to scowl at him as he did it with all of the ease that she had lacked.

Gourry stepped over to the side and knelt down next to her. Pulling the shirt tightly to her chest, Lina fought to sit back up. After a few attempts, Lina had to admit to herself that she was going to need help. Shit, this was so embarrassing.

"Um…. Can you -" thankfully she didn't have to finish that sentence as Gourry seemed to read her mind. He wedged his hands around her back and helped her into a sitting position. She gave him a small smile in thanks as there was no way in hell that she was actually going to say the words.

"So, ah…. How do you want to do this?" he asked gripping the shirt a little harder then what was necessary.

"If you hold it up I should be able to slip my arms through," she said after a moment trying to control the blush that was creeping onto her face.

He held the shirt out as Lina had instructed. Lina turned her back to him and was able to slip her arms through without too much pain. Once both arms where through, she let the makeshift cover-up fall to her lap.

Lina frowned as she closed the front. It was rather big. Hell, it made her look like a little girl playing dress up. Thank goodness she was still wearing her underwear from last night because she didn't think there was anyway that those pants were going to fit and she did not want to go anywhere without something covering her ass. Gourry found something to secure her waist and gently tied it around her. Once finished, he got back onto his feet.

"I'm sorry Lina," he said. "But I don't those pants are going to fit."

It looked like the guy was reading her mind.

"Maybe we can find you something else?" he half suggested, half asked.

Lina just weakly nodded back at him and tried to get her legs to stand up. Gourry had to help, again. It was getting sickening. There was no way that she could continue to rely on the guy like this. What would it do to her reputation?

She weakly pushed him away and took a few tentative steps. The going was slow, but thankfully, she could do it by herself. At least the shirt she wore was long enough that it almost went down to her knees. She wasn't sure if that should make her happy or mad. Instead, she settled for just being relieved.

Gourry walked a little ways behind her. Stopping by the bed, he quickly pulled on his pants, but did not bother with the blue long sleeve shirt he normally wore with them. He still made it to the door before her and slid it open.

From the look of the main room, everyone was up and outside already. Mats were folded along with blankets and stuck in a corner. Lina glanced at the other bedroom to see that the door was open and the room was vacant. A fire had been lit in the kitchen area and the entire room smelled as if something had been cooking. Her stomach gave a painful churn that only instilled in her mind that food was currently not her friend.

Gourry made his way past her to the front door. He waited for her to hobble to him before holding it open for her. Almost as soon as she stepped out into the day, voices in conversation could be heard.

Zelgadis, Amelia, Miroku and Sango sat around a small fire with what looked like the remains of some sort of meal on a table to their left.

"Lina!" Amelia was the first to notice her. She jumped to her feet and ran over to the red head. Amelia went in for what was going to be a rather forceful hug before Gourry stopped her. "You're still hurt?"

"I'm fine, just weak," Lina responded but the waver in her voice betrayed her words.

"We were so worried," Amelia continued gently taking her arm and helping her over to where the others sat. It was somewhat less embarrassing for Amelia to do it rather then Gourry. "Zelgadis almost had a fit when you returned. I'm surprised he didn't destroy half of the forest in rage looking for Xelloss."

"Ah gee Zel," Lina smiled. "I didn't know that you cared."

Zelgadis snorted in response, but Lina was fairly sure that there was a look of concern on his face.

"He wasn't the only one," Sango said from where she sat petting Kirara. "You were not in the best of shape when you returned."

Lina almost collapsed into the grass next to Zelgadis. Amelia sat on the other side, but Gourry remained standing. What Sango had said was a gross understatement. Shit, considering she knew that she looked pretty damn awful now, she didn't even want to think about what she looked like last night.

"Well, I'm fine now," she replied.

"That's bullshit and you know it," Zelgadis replied rather forcefully. "What you did was perhaps one of the most foolhardy things you've ever done. Which is saying something considering how many stupid decisions you've made in the past."

"Excuse me?" Lina probably would have shouted if she felt better. Her deal with Xelloss had not been stupid. Sure, she might have gotten hurt and she's pissed as hell at him, but it was not a stupid decision. "Like you're one to talk Zelgadis; _Mr. I let my body be a science experiment_."

"Oh, nice of you to act so grown up Lina," Zelgadis replied crossing his arms.

"Now come on you two," Amelia said. "Arguing about this is pointless."

"They almost sound like Kagome and Inuyasha," Sango whispered to Miroku out of the corner of her mouth.

"It had to be done," Lina stated choosing to ignore Sango's words. "I told you before we're not going into this battle half cocked. I am so sick of that! If we can get Xelloss to be straight with us from the beginning instead of him talking around us in circles - it's more then worth it. I am not repeated the mess we had with Valgaav if we can avoid it!"

Zelgadis gave her a dry laugh. "Cause the stakes are so similar."

"You know what I mean," she insisted. "It was a mess, when we weren't fighting Valgaav, we were fighting Xelloss or we were fighting Armace. No one had a clue to what the hell we were really fighting for and when we finally figured out what was going on, we were almost completely fucked! If I can avoid that this time around, you better be damn sure that I'm going to try to."

"What are you guys fighting about?" Lina looked up in the direction of the female voice that came from the trees to the left of her. "I could hear you long before I could see you."

Kagome walked out with Shippo perched on her shoulder. Inuyasha followed not to far behind them. Come to think of it, Lina hadn't seen them yet this morning… Granted she hadn't been awake for long, but still there wasn't a whole lot of places to go.

"Zelgadis is just trying to play big brother when I don't need one," Lina huffed.

"It should have been me," Zel replied. "I'm the one who needs the jewel. I'm the one who got us into this mess. You shouldn't have to suffer for it."

Lina almost laughed aloud but instead settled for shaking her head. She should have know that that was what was really bugging Zel. While he would never admit that he was a selfless guy, he really was. All of his talk about going off and finding a cure on his own - of not bothering others because it was his quest - it was all a mask. Zel hated when other people got hurt on his behalf. Of course, it was different when he was the one doing the hurting.

"Stop it," Lina gave him a firm stare. "We're friends Zel, and that's what friends do for each other. You know damn well that Xelloss would have never offered the deal if it was you on the other end. He would have never accepted those terms."

"But that doesn't mean that you should -"

"Enough," Lina stated as firmly as she could. Zelgadis clamped his mouth shut almost immediately. "You have helped me - us - out more times then I can count in the past. It's about damn time that you let me do the same for you. You are not going to spend one more minute longer then necessary in that body of yours. Not one."

Zelgadis continued to stare at Lina. He was still mad; she could see it in his eyes. But you know what, Lina didn't care. He was acting stupid and Lina would bet anything that he knew he was being an idiot as well. Lina stared right back at him. Challenging him to say something else on the subject. Just let him try, there was no way he would be winning this battle of words.

Zel finally turned his attention towards where Amelia was sitting.

"Don't look at me," Amelia said crossing her arms. "I firmly agree with Ms. Lina on this one. So, stop sulking and just accept our help. If this deal of Lina's helps us get the jewel, then it was worth it. And you know what, I would have made it to."

Those were some words coming from Amelia. The girl wasn't one for making the difficult dark decisions that would undoubtedly lead to pain. How did she ever expect to lead a kingdom when she tends to think that everything is bunnies and roses? For a matter of fact, Lina was somewhat surprised that Phil has lasted for so long when he pretty much shared the same mindset as his daughter.

"I'm going for a walk," Zelgadis muttered getting up to his feet. He stalked off into the woods without an other word. Lina was half tempted to shout after him but decided not to waste her breath. He was a big boy and could handle himself.

Gourry took Zel's vacated spot next to her. His leg rubbed against hers making her realize that he was sitting closer then necessary. She shot a glance at him from the corner of her eye. He was munching on an apple that he had grabbed from the table that stood not to far away. She was surprised that he wasn't cramming it down in a split second like normal. His eyes met hers and Lina looked away as quick as possible. Perhaps he didn't notice that she was staring.

"Do you want some?" he asked offering the apple to her in his hand. He had taken only two bites out of it.

Lina shook her head in a definite no.

"Why does he half to be so difficult?" Gourry asked after taking another bite.

"Well, that just Zel for you," Lina sighed. It was definitely one of Zel's more irritating personality traits. The guy was practically family; hell Lina preferred him to her actual family - even with his sour deposition. Then again, he was nowhere near as sour as her sister. Just thinking about her made Lina shiver. "Is there any water for tea?"

"I'll heat you up some," Amelia said getting back to her feet. Lina was about to tell the girl that she could do it herself but decided that would probably not be a good idea. Now that she was off her feet, she wasn't sure how long it would be before she could get back up. Lina tried not to let the implications of that get to her head. If she could barely walk now, that meant that trying to do any sort of spells would most likely cause her to collapse. She probably needed at least a weeks worth of rest before she would be able to cast any heavy spells again.

Lina frowned. She didn't even want to consider the possibility that the next battle would happen before she was fit enough to put up a fight. Xelloss had tried to assure her last night that it wouldn't, but it still did not sit right in her stomach.

"So Kagome," Amelia said from where she preparing Lina some tea. The girl had just used magic to heat the water up and was now blending together leaves of some sort to brew. "I was a little surprised that you were already gone by the time I had gotten up."

"Um, yeah," Kagome replied giving Miroku a side glance. "You know, things to do."

"I see you tracked down Inuyasha," Miroku commented. "Was that before or after you went to the river to bathe and meditate? Because I would have been happy to keep you company if you needed it."

"Miroku!" Sango almost shouting as she threw a rock within easy reaching distance at him. "Now is not the time for you lewd comments. And besides, Shippo was with them."

"Nah-uh," the kid pouted. "Kagome left without me. _Again_. I had to sit and wait by the well for her to return."

"I'm sorry Shippo, but even I need my alone time every once in awhile," Kagome said choosing to ignore Miroku's comment.

Amelia joined the group again and handed Lina her tea. She took a tentative sip only to realize that it was hot. The liquid was out of her mouth and spit back into the cup before she even realized.

"Nice Lina," Gourry said. "How very lady like of you."

"Shut up," she muttered as she mentally added her tongue to the list of things that hurt.

"Sorry," Amelia apologized even though it wasn't her fault. Tea was supposed to be hot after all. Lina smiled at her letting her know that it was nothing to worry about causing the girl to smile back at her.

"I was thinking we should do some training today," Amelia said to Kagome.

Kagome's training into the world of shamanism and white magic was going rather well. Even though they had only been traveling together for a couple weeks, there had been a significant amount of progress. The first few days, Kagome's spells had come off flaky at best. Sometimes they'd work but most often, they had fizzled out and died. However, after Kagome's few weeks of work with Amelia, Lina had already seen Kagome's improvement. And with each day that had followed after, Lina had become more impressed at the girl's natural talent.

With enough practice, Lina didn't doubt that Kagome was going to become a talented sorceress.

* * *

Lina ended up looking for Kagome and Amelia later that afternoon while they were training. Her body was so weak that even the thought of her normal routine of picking up a sword and working with Gourry made her want to collapse. Even if she could have found the energy to pick up a sword, no doubt the next twinge of random pain that ran though her body would probably cause her to impale her foot or something. She rather liked her body parts without holes.

Meditation would do her some good right now anyway.

After last night, her soul still felt like it was in shreds. Having Gourry hanging out with her for most of the afternoon was a great distraction. Between him and Inuyasha, she was distracted enough that she was able to take her mind off what had happened last night. But now that they were busy doing boy things, Lina was left alone with her thoughts - and that was not good. Even the few moments she spent thinking about it now was enough for the fear to start to set in. It was enough to make her skin start to itch and her breathe start to quicken. Lina really needed to center herself and tune in with her magical core before she lost it.

She hated feeling this weak.

Knowing that her magic was not at her call unnerved her more then she wanted to admit. The fact that it felt as though it was torn away form her made her feel lost. She felt unnatural and out of place.

Lina rubbed her hands along her arms in attempt to ease some warmth back into them. Goose bumps had formed on her skin despite the fact that it was a warm day out. She shook her head in an attempt to change her thought cycle.

Okay Lina! No more depressing thoughts!

Taking a prolonged deep breathe, she continued forward.

Unfortunately, she only made it a few steps before her foot wedged itself underneath a root. Her arms flailed around in an attempt to steady her. She hooked her arm around a tree branch and caught her weight before she went crashing to the ground.

Gourry had offered to help her on her journey to find Amelia and Kagome, but she had shrugged him off. Perhaps, that had been a bad idea.

If she tripped over another twig, she was going to snap.

Thankfully, they weren't too much further away. Lina found them sitting in a clearing next to the river that flowed nearby Kaede's hut.

Neither of the girls noticed Lina's arrival (even with all of the shuffling and grumbling) and she practically collapsed into the grass when she got there.

Sighing, she stretched out and laid down.

Lina didn't normally join Amelia and Kagome for training; usually she worked on her swordsmanship with the guys during this time. It wasn't that Lina didn't want to help; she just didn't think that she would be able to do a whole lot. After all, her specialty was in black magic and due to Kagome being a natural channeler of white magic - there wasn't much use for Lina. Amelia insisted that Kagome had a powerful tie to the healing and purification arts. Far stronger then Amelia herself. With that type of connection, learning black magic would not only be difficult but also almost painful for the girl.

It was best to think of magic like a spectrum, white on one side with black on the other. Most people are born into the spectrum of magic somewhere into the middle and will eventually gravitate towards one direction or the other. However - the further down the spectrum one goes, the further away the other end becomes. The better someone gets at practicing light spells, the more difficult dark ones become and vice versa.

Lina was steeped in the black end of magic. She had trained her magic core to be able to accept the darkest of energies and once her core had been trained to do that, the white end of the spectrum was out of reach. It was why Lina stayed away from a lot of the white magic. Once she tuned her core into accepting the dark, white magic was no longer compatible with her energy. The few white spells that Lina does know, she learned the hard way.

It had taken a long time and a lot of meditation to learn the few white magic spells in her arsenal and not to mention it had been very dangerous. If one was not careful, they could burn themselves out and die from magical exhaustion. The few white spells that Lina had learned where important enough to take the risks and she had been careful enough that the chance of doing permanent damage was slim. Quite frankly, Lina didn't think that it was worth it to try to learn the whitest stuff like purification. She was quite happy with her range of the dark and shamanism. There was no need for her to try to include anymore light spells then the important ones, like healing, into her arsenal.

Even Sylphiel, despite her ability to cast the Dragon Slave, can be applied to this rule. Lina had asked her about it before, how she had been able to learn the Dragon Slave when she was clearly a priestess of the light. Sylphiel had taken a big risk with teaching her core to be able to handle that spell. She could have easily killed herself in the process. But - just because she had been able to learn the Dragon Slave did not mean that she could wield other dark magic. This was evident in the fact that the girl was terrible at any other dark spells - even a fireball.

Shamanism was different. While black magic comes form the Mazoku and white magic comes from the Gods, Shamanism comes from nature. It in itself is not associated with the black - white magic spectrum and is a separate entity. Zelgadis's forte was Shamanism. Zel often floats between the light and the dark spectrum as he isn't tied to either end. But he could never have the power that Lina has with dark, nor Amelia has with Light. Although, he probably could do some of the heavy spells if he put his mind to it. That guy could be scary when focused.

All in all, it meant that Lina wouldn't do much good in Kagome's lessons.

Lina sighed and let herself focus on what Kagome was working on. Even if she couldn't be much help, she could still offer some general advice. Lina had plopped herself down maybe about five feet away from where Kagome and Amelia where sitting. But even at that distance, she could feel the energy shifting around the Kagome and flowing into her. The girl really would be something in a couple of years.

Amelia's voice drifted in the air almost lazily. From the sound of it, Amelia was deep into channeling her magic as well.

"The arrow that you hold in your hand is just an object. The energy it posses is only stagnate. Shamanism will bend that energy to your will. Feel your magic flow from yourself and into the arrow. Watch as it faintly glows pink as it accepts the purification energy you are giving it. The more you give it, the brighter it glows."

Lina cracked her eyes open and looked at Kagome. She hadn't noticed the arrow sitting in her hands when she had first laid down. But to be fair, she wasn't really looking for it. Kagome had said before that she channeled her purification spells into her arrows. Amelia had said as well that working with Kagome on that technique was a good place to start. It was a spell that Kagome had already been using and had proven to work in battle. If Amelia could help Kagome gain consistency and strength in this attack, the benefit to her would be astronomical. There was a good chance that an other battle would happen soon, and Kagome did not have time to learn any of the big spells. It best was to hone in and improve an ability that she had already been putting to use instead of trying to teach her something like the Rah Tilt.

Lina closed her eyes and shifted her senses away from Kagome; changing her focus to the problems that lie ahead. Lina had to be ready as well in case a battle sprang up, and her condition right now was anything but such.

There were two Mazoku to currently worry about. The fight with Succhii had been, as much as it pained her to admit it, pathetic. Damn it she was out of shape. She hadn't had to use heavy black magic in a long while - not since the fight with Valgaav and Darkstar. And at that time, she had been in her prime. Lina groaned, the last two years of Mazoku inactivity was definitely coming back to bite her in the ass.

She clearly remembered the last time she had cast the Ragna Blade - the force of the power that had coursed through her hands and had filled her. Not to mention the headache and nose bleeds that had followed soon for days after. Was she even up to casting a spell of that nature again? Would she even be able to survive something like that?

In the state she was in now - probably not.

Oh, she knew the right words and how to open her body up the energies. Lina knew the motions needed to go through it and she knew that she was fully capable of doing it. But powerful spells were like talents. For instant you might have spent four years of your life drawing everyday and then not pick up a pen for a whole year. Sure, after that year when you pick up the pen you can still draw - but you look at your work and you see the differences. Lines and shapes don't come as easy. The people or trees or whatever you are drawing don't have as much life in them.

Magic works the same way. Her body isn't used to the heavy stuff.

Lina ran a hand through her hair. What a fucking great time to be out of shape.

For the first time in a long while, Lina wished that the past two years of her life had been a little more dangerous.

Amelia and Zel had it easy. White magic and Shamanism didn't take as much of a toll on the body as black magic did. The bodies' strength to handle the difficult spells such as the Rah Tilt could be maintained through mediation. Amelia and Zel meditate often, while Lina…not so much. Oh meditation helped the mind of the black magic practitioner, but the body had to be channeling the dark energies regularly in order to withstand it.

With those thoughts, Lina drowned out the noises from Amelia and Kagome and slipped deeper into her mind. While her body might not be ready for a spell such as the Ragna Blade, her mind would be. Lina focused on the energy swirling around her.

Lina sought out the negative energy that the Mazoku were so fond of and channeled it into her body. It wasn't peaceful like white magic and it didn't feel like Shamanism. No, it was like a raging floodgate that had to be controlled. If one couldn't control it, the energy would slip through your fingers or worse, it would be released in an uncontrollable mass and destroy that around you. The larger the spell, the more potential for damage it could do if it ever went out of control.

So there Lina sat, focused in on her own mind. She channeled the dark energies in preparation for what was to come. Lina reinforced her mind seeing how much she could take in, a practice that she hadn't done in two years. The last time had been not long before she had gone into battle with Darkstar. And, as Lina sat there preparing, she tried to keep the thoughts out of her mind that came in with the darkness. The pain, despair and hate that whispered to her. The cold and loneliness that was so similar to what Xelloss had overwhelmed her with last night. Lina was under no pretenses; she knew what Xelloss had done to her and the simple fact that she was doing it to herself right now. He had drawn negative energy from her and had feed off of it. Filled her up to past her breaking point and reveled in her despair.

However, even with those thoughts on the edge of her consciousness, Lina still let the darkness in.

* * *

"What is she doing?" Kagome asked Amelia.

They had been training for a good hour before Kagome had started to feel her skin itch. She ignored it for at least a good half hour. But it kept getting stronger and stronger until her skin felt as if it was crawling with bugs. It was a feeling that she recognized instantly. The same feeling that Kagome got when she was around Naraku. The darkness and evil that made her stomach churn. She had felt it last night as well when Xelloss had returned with Lina. And now, she was feeling it again. But this time, it wasn't coming from a demon. No, it was coming from the red head that sat cross-legged in the grass with her eyes closed.

"Lina's meditating," Amelia said.

"But it's nothing like what we've been doing," Kagome replied. "Meditation is peaceful, calming…and this, this is nothing of that."

"That's because Lina practices a different type of magic then you Priestess," came a voice from behind.

Kagome whirled around as quickly as she could to see Xelloss watching Lina. Where he had come from, Kagome had no idea. He seemed to just have appeared from nowhere. Kagome unconsciously scooted away from him. It wasn't that she was afraid of the guy… um …. monster but after last night she really didn't want to be near him. But who could blame her? The amount of dark energy that had come from him last night was repulsive. Perhaps being a Shrine Maiden she was more sensitive to it then the others? But after last night, she knew for certain that Xelloss was seeped evil.

"You better watch out," Amelia said to Xelloss. "Zel was still pretty mad at you the last time I saw him."

Xelloss waved his hand indicating that Amelia's warning meant nothing. However, Kagome figured that he really didn't have anything to worry about, not if the power from last night was a hint of the forces that he really commanded.

"Where were you anyway?" Kagome asked getting up to her feet. He had disappeared almost instantly after bring Lina back to camp.

"Well," Xelloss smiled. "I was trying to gather information on where our quarry might be. However the little bird I had caught was not quite ready to talk."

From the corner of Kagome's eye, she could see that Amelia looked stunned for a second, as if she wasn't really expecting him to answer the question.

"Don't look so surprised," he continued. "Lina and I have a deal. And I for one honor my deals."

"Xelloss," it seemed that Lina noticed the monster's presence as well. "How nice of you to join us again."

Lina was struggling to get to her feet, enough that Amelia moved to help her get up. Kagome had noticed that Lina was still weak from last night - it was hard not to no matter how much the girl tried to hide it.

"I thought so too," Xelloss replied with a smirk even though it was evident that Lina's statement had not been a question. Kagome watched as his gaze drifted off again. She followed it to the trees. Peering in as well, she wasn't sure what had caught his attention.

He moved almost too fast. One second he stood still before disappearing in a strange black mass only to reappear again. He was clutching something in his hand. Perhaps clutching wasn't the correct word. Blood too dark to be natural oozed out between his fingers. Whatever he had caught was thoroughly crushed in his palm.

"And what do you have there?" Lina asked as she approached him on wobbly legs.

He didn't answer but opened his fist to show what used to be a bird. The wings were bent at funny angles and the neck was twisted unnaturally. Lina frowned as she stared at the creature. Kagome could only guess that she was coming to the same conclusions as herself. That bird had not been a normal bird; even with it crushed, it was obvious that there was something off about it.

"Spill," was all Lina said.

"You've been being watched since you've joined up together," Xelloss turned his hand over and let it's body fall into the tall grass below. "They've," Xelloss waved off-handedly to Kagome, "probably have been watched for months now. Far long before they met you."

"And you've just decided to bring it to our attention now?" Kagome couldn't believe that he didn't think this was important enough to bring up earlier. The bird had obviously been one of Naraku's creations.

"I thought that it might bring Naraku to you," Xelloss smiled. "However now that I've managed to catch something more useful then that, having him know your every move is no longer beneficial to me."

"But weren't you worried that he'd know that you were here too?" Amelia asked.

Xelloss let out a short laugh.

"You honestly think I'd let myself be seen by that thing?" he asked with a bit of sarcasm. "I assure you that I am quite talented enough to cloak my presence so that the abomination never even registered that I was here. After all, it was only a visual recording device, it never could distinguish sound."

Kagome shook her head despite herself. Xelloss was a real piece of work. She had a feeling that he was going to get under her skin as much as Inuyasha does…but in a less then friendly way.

"So," drawled Lina. "This something more useful that you caught…you going to tell us what it is?"

"Not yet," Xelloss replied. "Once I get the information that I need, I will share but not until then."

"Why not?" Amelia asked.

"Because I'm afraid that a few of you would not approve of my information gathering techniques."

Xelloss didn't have to expand any further on that statement. In fact, Kagome would have rather had not had him say that statement at all. Her mind connected the dots rather quickly. She gathered her hair up into a ponytail and frowned. The face of disgust that she made wasn't that well hidden.

"Doesn't sit well with you Priestess?" he asked.

"No, whoever or whatever you are torturing for information I would rather not know."

"You're sure about that?"

It was the way he asked. The inflection in his voice that made Kagome falter and almost want to know more.

"I'm sure," she finally replied. "Just make sure that you keep your part of the deal and tell us when you get the information."

Kagome spun around on her heals and started walking back to the camp. She wasn't quite sure how she should feel. It wasn't that she was mad, or scared. She didn't know if the jittering in her belly came from the thought that one of Naraku's minions was currently being tortured for information. No, Kagome rather believed that it came from wishing they had that information now. And that thought scared her.

Kagome wasn't a cruel person. In fact, Inuyasha often scolded her for being far to nice and putting others before herself too often. Kagome didn't want to become that type of person either. It reminded her of Kikyo, and that was the last person on Earth that she wanted to be compared to. After this war, is that what she would become? Someone cold and uncaring only thinking for herself? Kagome tried to shake the thought out of her head. After all, look at Amelia. The girl seemed to have seen plenty of battle and misery but she still was a gentle soul at heart. That's what Kagome wanted to stay like. And she would try her damnedest to remain pure after the battle was done. With that thought in her mind, Kagome continued towards camp hoping that Naraku's location would be discovered at last. She couldn't help the fleeting thought that whatever Xelloss had to do in order to get the information would be worth it. There was no way that she was going to lose anyone else like she had lost Koga.


End file.
